The Mega Compilation of my Shitty Fics
by timeShenanigans
Summary: A compilation of all my shitty old fics i don't want on my profile anymore but feel should still be open because of how shit they were M only for safety (these are from like middle school and shit lol)
1. Index

A collection of my shitty fanfics that i don't want to look at. The entirety of a fic is in one chapter, so here's the index.

1\. Demonic Echoes [One Piece]

2\. Ice Cold [Fullmetal Alchemist]

3\. Crystal Speed [Fairy Tail]

4\. Red Hood [One Piece, for some reason]

5\. Storms [One Piece, for some reason]

6\. The Juggler [One Piece]

7\. The Juggler - [One Piece]

8\. Surprise! - [Homestuck]

9\. Gates - [Fullmetal Alchemist]

10\. Triple The Trouble - [Fire Emblem: Awakening]

11\. Dark Flames - [DragonFable]

12\. Weaver of Souls - [DragonFable]

13\. Flaming Tempest - [Fairy Tail]

14\. The Lollipop Guild - [Fairy Tail]

15\. Leopard Spirits - [Rise of the Guardians]

16\. Grey Heart - [Kingdom Hearts]

17\. A game of shadows - [Homestuck]

18\. Dream Saga - [Homestuck]

19\. Tracing Footsteps (Pre-rewrite) - [Naruto]


	2. Demonic Echoes - One Piece

Actual Author's Note: This story is so baddd i literally don't remember even writing this oh my god. What was my premise even going to be?

* * *

 ** _Prologue_**

A shadowed figure flickers to life in front of your eyes as you step into the tavern, a black, cloak with the hood pulled up and over the figure's face. The figure speaks, and it is apparent now that the figure is a girl.

"Hello. Are you here to hear the story that I've been telling?" The figure asks, and before you can answer, people crowd around her, pulling you with them and you're sat into a seat before you can say a single word. The girl pulls her hood down, and shows a soft, gentle face, her eyes concealed by bandages wrapped around them, a scar running across her forehead. She looks elegant and beautiful, yet energetic and full of life. Her black hair looks silky soft and falls to her waist, feathers tied into it, her bangs gently brushing over her tanned skin, covering part of the bandages. Her ears are pointed, as if she was an elf in old stories, a gold hoop was pierced near the tip of her right ear, and then she smiles, revealing two sharp canines that glint in the light.

You are so caught up in staring at her, that you don't really realize that she had even started speaking, until she turns her head directly at you. She chuckles softly, filling you with happiness for some reason. For whatever reason, you hang on every word that she speaks, even as she speaks it.

"Come now, gather round dears, I may not be much older than you, but I'm a good decade older!" She says good-naturedly, smiling a warm smile as she does this. "Now, Vida, would you be a dear and come here?" She asks, as a woman in her twenties walks in, her black hair down to her waist, a deep contrast to her pale skin. Her bangs are layered on her face. A ram's horn is on either side of her head, and poking out from the back of her black cloak is a pair of bat wings. Her nails are black, painted or otherwise, you can't be sure. Under her left eye in black is a tattoo of three claw-looking marks and under her right eye is a tattoo that looks like the astrology sign of cancer, yet elegant.

Something about the two women fills you and everyone in the room with questions, but it seems that no one can speak. The first girl smiles at Vida, and motions for her to pull up a chair. Somehow she can see with the bandages over her eyes, but nobody says anything.

The first woman clears her throat, and smiles at the crowd, or, as if she can see, she looks directly at you. "Now, this is the tale of a very famous pirate, Echo Nashi, the infamous female pirate. Our story starts over fifty years ago, in a long off land….."

The woman's voice fades out, and the light grows dim, or, at least, you think it does, but in reality, it's not the lights that are growing dim, you're really just imagining it. An image flashes in front of your face, before a movie plays out in front of your eyes…

 ** _Chapter One_**

 _My voice rang throughout the air as I sang, spinning and twirling, my tambourine in hand, the golden bangles around my wrists, the gold discs on the sash on my skirt glinting in the light. I was filled with joy; the only time I was allowed to participate in my favorite activities that reminded me of home is when the women here leave for the night, and I'm in charge. The small girls' faces around me lighting up as they heard the song, and they stood, looking at me._

 _I smiled encouragingly, and they came over; one by one, slowly and nervously, and started dancing with me, singing along. We sang and danced for hours on end, dancing until we fell asleep in a big pile next to the fireplace, the younger girls crowded around me._

As I slowly woke up, I realized that I had tears streaked down my face, and I hastily wiped them off. I sighed, and got up, looking at myself in the mirror.

"C'mon Echo, get ahold of yourself. That was a lifetime ago." Literally. That was a vision of a past life, yet mirrored my own so perfectly. I shook my head to clear it, and went back to looking at myself in the mirror.

I pulled my white crop top shirt on, the straps falling down at my elbows, but a thin, silk-like material that slightly poofed out, closing at my elbow. I pulled on a pair of ultramarine blue pants made of a similar material, but thicker, that puffed slightly, but not much. I pulled an azure blue skirt-type thing on, that started at just below my hip, and ended mid-calf, and had golden discs on it that glinted in the light when I moved, a bell attached to the very end. I pushed a golden hoop earring through the right of my two pointed ears, and tied a cerulean bow into my hair and a golden necklace around my throat, the pendant resting on the hollow of my throat.

I sighed at my reflection, looking at myself once again. The raven-black hair hadn't changed, nor had my caramel colored skin, that contrasted with my top well. I pulled my golden bracelets on my wrists, the bands familiar and comforting. I pulled bangle anklets on, and relaxed at the comforting clinking sound they made when I moved. I hid my tricks in the pockets and other places of my outfit. I placed a crystal ball in my pocket, along with my tambourine, making sure that it was perfectly wrapped to make no noise. Before I left I pulled my bangs down so that I could move them over my eyes if someone saw me.

I gathered my most important items into a large knap-sack, blue in color. This included a large, thick journal, and it was obvious that it had been made of other, smaller journals. I made sure to pack an extra one or two journals as well, just in case. I also packed some cloth and needles, along with thread. I made sure to pack a pen, and some pencils, along with my pocketknife. Hey, I might not be going anywhere, or I might be, but I find that it's far better to be prepared than to not be.

I smiled, and left my small room, not bothering to pull any shoes on. It was nighttime, and I was prepared to leave. I made my way down the hall to one of the balconies, and went out on it. I found the vines that grew along the side of the house there as usual, and I climbed them. I soon arrived at the top of the house, and sat there for a great while, staring at the stars.

That was when I heard someone climbing the vines, and I scooted over as my best friend Michael sat beside me, dressed in his usual outfit that was similar to mine. His orchid purple shirt was lined with gold threaded patterns. A pearly purple set of pants, which underneath were eminence purple leggings. His Byzantium cape had a bell on each end, and was placed so that it halfway covered his chest, and was held at the shoulder with a golden disc, engraved on it was a bell with an arrow through it, the ancient symbol of those like us. In fact, on each disc on my skirt was engraved with the same symbol.

His fingerless gloves had a thick band at the wrist, and were plum in color. His leather shoes were slightly pointed at the end, and had no laces; instead they were just slip-on shoes. He smiled at me, his black hair falling into his chocolate brown eyes slightly. His canines were sharp as usual, and his teeth were extremely white. I leaned my head on his shoulder and sighed, looking at the sky.

"What's wrong Echo?" He asked, using my favorite name, which made me smile slightly.

"Japan seems so…. _Foreign_ compared to the lands we've been to. I just… I miss the open fields and wide spaces, the lovely weather of some of the lands we've been to." I said, an image of a boy with dirty-blonde hair and a girl with the similar hair flashing before my eyes. I sighed, and shook my head gently.

"I understand. In fact, I feel the same way. There's no use fretting about it Co, we're here for a good while." He said sympathetically, placing his head on mine as we stared at the sky. There was a shooting star, and I smiled, closed my eyes, and placed my hands together.

"I wish upon this star, on this clear night and hallowed ground. I wish that I could go to the One Piece world, and that Michael can come with me, but only if he wants to." I said, smiling at the sky, my eyes closed. Michael chuckles at my wish, and I snuggle into his arms. Michael has always been my best friend, and I know he would never do anything inappropriate. That's why I felt safe falling asleep in his arms…

 ** _Chapter Two_**

As I slowly woke up, I could hear the crashing of waves on the shore, something that was most uncommon for my life in Japan, but to my still-asleep brain, I thought I was back on the shores of Dragon Roost Island, and had accidentally fallen asleep on the shore. I opened my eyes slowly, and quickly realized that I wasn't on Dragon Roost Island. I sat up quickly sat up and took inventory. My knapsack was there, along with my tambourine, and everything that I had had on me when I left. I let out a sigh of relief, and stood up.

I recognized that I was on some sort of island, but couldn't figure out what island. I shook my head, and picked my things up, slinging my knapsack over one shoulder. I walked and walked for hours, but couldn't find anyone, or anything. Every night I put an entry into my journal, and for three weeks I wandered the island, eating fruit and other things that I found, along with a rabbit or two. By the end of the second month of being on the island, I was a lot skinner than I had been, due to the fact that I barely had anything to eat.

By the end of the first year, I had explored nearly the entire island. I also realized that some of my memory was missing, and I knew it was something big. I sighed, and skimmed through the entries that I had put in the journal so far.

 _Entry 32_

 _I found a small book today, left by an explorer or something that ended up dying. Apparently, this island has 'Wishing Streams'. Randomly one of the streams will grant a wish on the mind. I've been wishing for things every time I drink from a stream now, hoping for something or another. I just hope that it's true._

 _Entry 92_

 _This is my Ninety-second day on the island, and today I found that I have forgotten something. I don't know what, but I know it was something important. Anyway, I found a strange fruit yesterday, one that I know means something to me, but I don't know what. It doesn't rot, I'm sure of that. I put it in the sun for a great while on accident, and it didn't smell bad or anything! I'm going to save it; for whatever reason, I'm sure it means something. I'm going to sketch the fruit on the back of this page, so that I can forever remember it._

 _Entry 110_

 _I still have no idea what the fruit is, but I found that when I move it, it makes a strange echoing sound. It's probably nothing, so I'll forget about it for now._

 _Entry 134_

 _Today I found a small cave; it leads to another half of the island. There's a trick passage way under the small stream there. The stream runs fast, and once you're in, it pushes you down the passageway at an extremely high speed, and you're spat out at the other end in no time. I probably shouldn't have tried it out, as I could have died, but it's too late to fret about something as trivial as that._

 _Entry 142_

 _I've taken the passage in the cave again today. It's too much fun! I can't help it. I just hope that one day I don't accidentally block it off somehow._

 _Entry 187_

 _Today was uneventful, but I find it harder to remember even the simplest of things. Had I not been writing in this journal every day, I would have forgotten how to write long ago. I can still read, even the languages that I don't use every day, something that I'm glad to this curse for. I've nearly forgotten how to speak; I haven't used my voice in so long. I haven't forgotten the dance to that song; it's imprinted in my brain for goodness sake! I have, however, gotten rusty with my dancing. I'm sighing as I'm writing this, because I keep forgetting things. Oh well, I'm sure that I'll remember things eventually._

 _Entry 263_

 _I've nearly forgotten my own name. I know that it's not the best way to start off a journal entry, but it's the only thing I can think of. I have to write at least a single line every day, or else I'll forget how long I've been here._

 _Entry 278_

 _I really have forgotten my own name now. I don't recall ever really putting it in here, and it takes so much energy just to write this small entry, let alone read other ones. The only time I can do it is during the day, because I only want to sleep at night, and I can barely read anything by the fire. I've given up on the wishing streams as well; I'm fairly sure that they don't exist now. I keep wishing for food, or for Michael, but nothing happens._

 _Entry 357_

 _I've finally remembered what the fruit is! It's a devil fruit. Somehow I know the name. The name is the Ekō Ekō no mi. The echo-echo fruit. I know now that I definitely won't be eating the fruit, because I don't know exactly what it'll give me power-wise. So, I'm going to keep it, but not eat it unless it's absolutely necessary. I've found that there are also bigger animals on the island, but they don't like humans, and so they keep away. I wonder if they would take in a child, like in one of those stories I've read. Sorry, I've been a little off lately. I can't seem to focus, and when I do, I'm too exhausted to think properly. I think tomorrow I'll go back to the cave again._

 _Entry 1351_

 _I have been on this island for nearly four years. I am starving, and dying. I can tell that I won't last long like this. I know I'll find a better life once I die, but I can't help but worry; What if I never see Michael again? What if I lose him? I don't want to lose my best friend, but I can't help but feel that I will. Goodbye, diary, as I feel that this will be the last time that I write to you._

I went to sleep, dreaming of many things. When I awoke the next morning, I decided that I would explore the cave again. I saw the stream that had the passageway, and I drank from it, wishing that I was younger, because I would have _much_ more energy for this kind of thing. As my vision blurred, the only thought on my mind was; **_Oh goodie, passing out is ALWAYS fun._**

 ** _Chapter 3_**

I opened my eyes to the sight of trees. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. **_Who….Am I? Where….Am I?_** I thought, looking around. I looked down at myself, and realized that I wasn't wearing anything, instead, I had a pile of large clothes around me, a knapsack over a little ways. I stood up shakily, and looked around myself. I saw that I was in a place filled with trees. I felt like something was missing. Desperately missing; something big. I knew it wouldn't do me any good to just sit around. So I looked through the knapsack. I saw a thick book in there as well, but I don't know how to read…..

I pulled out some cloth, and a thread and needle. Realizing that I didn't know how to sew, I put it back. I pulled out a small, white dress that looked like it would fit me, and pulled it on. I placed the bigger clothes that I now realized were different shades of blue, into the knapsack. As I did this, I saw a fruit in there, and my stomach growled. I took it out, and ate the fruit greedily, and nearly spit it out. It was really gross! I ate it anyway though, because I was really hungry. I let out a sob once I had it down, only to get blasted back by my own voice!

I got really scared and sobbed again, only achieving the same thing. So I just stayed quiet. This failed, but eventually I found that I could control it by focusing on it, and making myself stop, or start with the noise. I started sobbing, the sound echoing through the woods that I was in. Once I stopped crying, I crawled over to a small stream that was nearby, and took a drink from it.

I looked at my reflection with wonder, as I had never seen it before. I had raven-black hair, and tanned skin, that was a golden brownish color. My eyes were red, and I had pointed ears, along with sharp canines that looked almost like fangs. In the right ear, I had a golden hoop earring. I had seen the other gold things, and put them with the knapsack, that I now claimed as my own. I saw that I was a child, something I had known immediately upon pulling the dress over my head. I touched the surface of the stream, sending ripples across the water.

I pulled my hand back, and went back to the spot I had been in earlier. I sat there and sobbed, not knowing where I was, or who I was. Not too long after that, an animal came up to me cautiously, and when I made no move to attack it, it came over and nudged my side gently. More animals came over, and I slowly stopped sobbing. Perhaps this was the start of something good.

 ** _Chapter Four_**

 ** _Four years later_**

Shanks had been sailing with his crew, when they spotted an island. It was fairly small, and was well hidden between some rocks. It was no wonder no one had found it, for it was not on the map. It wasn't too far from Fuchsia village either, and so they decided to explore. Shanks had decided to explore on his own, and went into the thick woods that made up most of the island. It wasn't too long after that, that he could hear rustling in the leaves of the trees, and then a glint of something caught his eye. A little girl lunged out of the trees, a knife in her hand. She looked no older than six, but was ready to kill him.

He simply stepped to the side, and she tumbled to the ground, her limbs sprawled out. As he went to step towards her, she hissed, and darted into the trees. He kept walking, aware that the girl was following him. He walked to the edge of the woods, where his ship was, and waited. He signaled to one of his crew members to be ready, and when the girl attacked him, he grabbed her arm She was slightly away from him, because she had a blue knapsack on her back. She screamed and thrashed, trying to escape, but his grip on her never faltered. She shrieked at the top of her lungs, which knocked one of his men backwards.

Even though he was shocked, his grip didn't loosen. The girl kept thrashing and trying to escape, and he saw a crimson liquid dotting the dirty white fabric of her dress, a rather large patch near her stomach. She struggled until she coughed up blood, and passed out. Shanks took her on board his ship, and took her to the infirmary.

I found that I was in an unfamiliar place, once I had woken up. I opened my eyes as fast as I could, and sat up. There was no one in the place I was. **_Room?_** I thought, recognizing the place I was as a room. Something I hadn't seen in a long time. Or rather, ever, but somehow I knew what it was. I looked down at myself, and saw I had white things on my arms and legs, my chest and stomach, and I placed a hand to my head, and realized that I had one on my head too. I could hear footsteps coming from down the hall, because my pointed ears were perfect for hearing, my nose was enhanced as well, due to many different things.

I shot up and went under the thing I was laying on, holding myself up on the frame of it. It took great effort, but I managed to keep myself up. I heard someone come in, and start talking, but I couldn't really understand what they were saying. I heard words I recognized, like 'girl', and 'gone', 'wounds' and 'bad'. I heard someone come in and say some things to calm the person down, and then walked over to the where I was. The person crouched down, and looked directly at me. I recognized him as the man who I attacked earlier. I dropped to the ground, and pressed my back against the wall, my eyes wide with fear.

The man smiled, and said something, making me frown. I couldn't understand him, and I think it showed on my face, because he looked like leader did when he loses a kill. He reached for me gently, and when I pressed back against the wall, he looked like he was thinking for a second.

He pointed to himself, and smiled. "Shanks." He said, and I realized that this was what he called himself.

I repeated the action and the word slowly, letting it sink in. He nodded and smiled, and motioned for me to come over to him. I shook my head, and scooted farther away. He thought again, and pointed to my arm. "Wound." He said, and I nodded slowly, thinking he was an idiot. "Good." He said, and I understood he meant that he helped me.

I scooted towards him this time, and he smiled, reaching for something. He held something that smelled really good, food I think. "Food….?" I asked slowly, unused to hearing my own voice, and recoiled in shock, putting a hand to my lips in surprise. He nodded, and smiled. I went to reach for it, and he moved away, making me scoot closer, until he grabbed me and set me on the thing that I was on earlier.

He pointed to the thing I was on, and spoke. "Bed." He said, and I nodded slowly. So this thing is called a bed. He pulled the cloth thing on it up. "Sheets." He said, holding the thing cloth, and then pulled the thicker cloth up, saying "Blanket." I nodded, and looked around. He told me what almost everything was. He pulled out my knapsack, and my face lit up with glee. I hugged it to my chest, and pulled my stuffed bear out of it, hugging it to my chest.

Shanks handed me the bowl of soup, and I started to eat it. I was fully aware that I was sobbing, but I couldn't help it. I hadn't had food in so long, that I had almost forgotten it. I had never tasted something this good in so long. The only thing I had was what leader brought me, and it was always raw meat. I felt a hand on my head, and I realized that Shanks was ruffling my hair. Once I was done crying and eating, Shanks led me to a place that he called the showers. He used something called soap in my hair, and told me to wash my body, something that I did, in fact, know how to do.

Over the course of the next few days, I learned a lot of new words, and studied every last person I met. I like the medicine man, he was nice, and the…. The…. Sharpshooter! That's what Shanks called him! The sharpshooter man was nice too, but my favorite was Shanks. I followed Shanks around most of the time, something that the members of the….of the…. Crew! That's what they're called! The crew members poked fun at Shanks for it. I found out that Shanks was the leader, but was called captain. Shanks was really nice to me, and after a couple of weeks while we were docked at the island, I learned a lot of new things.

By the end of the second week I was forming sentences, and I was starting to read. I also started showing the crew members my power. They didn't hurt me when I did it; in fact, they just helped me practice it! I also found out from the journal thingy that I had with me that my name was Lyra, but I also went by Echo. It was around the third week that Shanks talked to me about something.

I was above deck, sitting against the mast, soaking up the sun when Shanks came up to me. "Lyra, why can you use that power?" He asked slowly, sitting next to me.

"I'm not sure. Let me see. It's in the journal." I said, flipping through the words, the strange symbols that I strangely understood being skipped. I skipped to the last few entries in the journal, and found the sketch of the fruit. I showed it to him, pointing at it with a scowl. "The fruit was yucky. It made me cry." I said, scowling. Shanks' expression darkened slightly, and I looked up at him with wide eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked, looking up at him.

He shook his head, and smiled at me. "That was a devil fruit you ate Lyra. It gives you strange powers, but makes it so you can never swim again. If you do, you'll freeze up and drown." He explained, and my eyes widened as I looked at the apple-like fruit, made of rippling layers that looked like the ripples that water made when you touched it.

"Really?" I asked my eyes wide with astonishment and surprise. I felt like I had heard that name before….

"Yes. Now, there's something I need to talk to you about." He said with a sigh, and I crawled into his lap, and looked up at him. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. "You can't stay here Lyra. On the island, or on the ship. I want to take you to an island near here, will you go?" He asked, and I shook my head violently, standing up quickly.

"No! You can't make me leave! I'll hide on the ship forever if I need to!" I shouted, darting below deck, and into a barrel, nobody seeing me. I head Shanks come down the steps, and I held my breath, trying not to cry.

I heard him sigh, and he walked over to the barrel I was in, and lifted the lid, before pulling me out. "Lyra, I can't keep you on the ship, and if you go back to that island, you'll die." he said, and I felt tears surface, as he sat me down, and I looked at the ground, trying not to sob. "Will you at least meet the person I want you to stay with? There's a boy around your age that I think you'll like." He said, and I nodded slowly, before running up the steps, and to the small bedroom that I had taken, sliding under the bed, and laying there, staring at the wall.

After a while, someone came in. The person sat on the bed, and started speaking. "You know, Lyra? I have a son, and he's about your age, if only a little older." Yassop said, as he sat there

"I know, Yassop. You haven't shut up about him." I said quietly, not trusting my own voice to stay firm.

He chuckled, and I imagined him running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I know, but I just miss him a lot! My son is my pride and joy!" He said, and a tear leaked out from the corner of my eye, as I gritted my teeth to stop from crying. "I wanted you to understand something." He said, pausing for a moment.

"What?" I whispered, curling into a ball.

"All of us, every last member of this crew cares for you. You've really grown on us." He said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "We don't want you to be hurt, and we may not have time to train you enough to protect yourself, and if you got hurt, or worse, it would make us feel awful." He said, and I inched closer to the edge of the bed. "That's why we want you to live on the island we've set sail to. Because you can grow stronger there, and we won't have to worry whether or not you're safe." He explained, and a sob escaped my lips.

I was aware that others had entered the room by now, but I pushed it aside. "To be honest Lyra, we can't really take care of a little girl; most of us have no clue how!" Another voice said, and another sob escaped my lips as I scooted closer to the edge.

"We want to keep you safe Lyra, you've really grown on us." I heard the doctor say, whom I had affectionately referred to as 'gramps'.

I crawled out from under the bed slowly, and stood up. I saw Shanks there, smiling gently at me, and I sobbed, before running to him, the rest of the members of the crew in the room joining in in a group hug. This crew was like my family, the only family I had ever truly had.


	3. Ice Cold - Fullmetal Alchemist

Actual Author's Note: This is by far the longest fic i've gotten through for when i posted it oh my god

* * *

 ** _Prologue_**

It had been a normal day for my six-year-old sister and I; get up, get dressed, eat, take Janine to her lessons, and go to work. Then I would work until lunch break, then go and pick up Janine, take her to daycare, which I could barely afford, then go back to work until quitting time. Then I would go and pick Janine up again, take her home, eat dinner, and go to bed, repeating the process again the next day.

Then there was my love of manga, especially Full Metal Alchemist, which causes me to often buy the new volumes when they come out, even if it's not in the budget. This is probably because of where my father came from, but never mind that. I buy my little sister Card Captor Sakura, because she loves manga and anime too.

Anyway, I was reading the newest Full Metal Alchemist volume, while my sister was sitting in my lap, reading Card Captor Sakura. I smiled, and stretched, setting down the finished volume. Janine wasn't too far behind, and, after a little more, she set it down. I smiled down at her, and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"C'mon Jani, let's get you dressed for bed." I said, picking her up, and taking her into the small bedroom that we share. I got her dressed in a cute little pale red dress with pink leggings, taking the pink bow from her hair, and braiding it for her, using the bow as a tie. Her face was slightly chubby, as all kids' faces are, and her eyes were a lovely emerald green, and she looked just like our mother. I smiled, and picked her up, putting her in bed.

"Alex, why are we going to bed so early?" She asked her voice light and tired. She was right, the sun was barely in the sky, having just risen.

I smiled reassuringly at her, and patted her head. "Don't you worry your little head over that. We're just moving is all." I said, stretching my arms above my head, popping my back and neck. "You just let your big sister take care of everything, all right?"

She nodded, and snuggled into the covers, falling asleep quickly. I quickly packed our things, placing them into our individual backpacks, mine red, and Janine's pink. I decided against bringing the manga, it was just more space that we needed for essentials. I packed clothes, toothbrushes, a brush, and everything we would need. I made sure to grab the small photo album that contained pictures of Janine and I, along with my father.

I had recently gotten on the bad side of some local thugs, and they never operated in the daytime, so that's when we would leave. I quickly got dressed in my normal black pants and tank top, along with my sandals, which looked like they were from Naruto. I wrapped up my arms, hiding the entire metal that made up my right arm, and my left hand, and then wrapped up my chest slightly as well. (I have a bra underneath it sickos! Well, that and a half shirt). I wrapped up my legs in the same way, so that my right leg was hidden, and nothing looked odd. I tied my waist-length Alizarin crimson colored hair up in a black ribbon, not in a ponytail, but back out of my face. I placed a bandage over the bridge of my nose, hiding the nasty scratch one of the local cats had given me, before pulling on a pair of white gloves.

You see, I had another reason for leaving. I had to go and see my prosthetics mechanic. Well, it's officially Automail mechanic, because the girl that takes care of me is from a different world, and studied in automail. I first met her by chance, when I was taking care of my sister, wheeling myself around in a wheel chair with an arm without a hand. I was crippled beyond repair… but that's a story for another time. I sighed, and picked my sister up gently, a backpack slung over each shoulder. It had taken me longer than usual to get ready, especially deciding what to take, and what not. I sighed, as I saw that it was already noon. I left the building, not bothering to lock anything up.

It had been a long trek to my mechanic's house, having to walk most of the way, and other times hitch-hiking or sneaking onto the backs of trucks or carts. Eventually though, I saw the familiar sky-blue house, fitting of my mechanic, or _mechanics_ I should say, as the house next to it was painted a familiar dark green. As I was walking up, I saw a weird swirling vortex type thing, and I went up to it. Oblivious to the shouts of my mechanics, as they came out, I reached towards it, and my sister and I were sucked in.

The last thing that I remember was a childish, yet mature face, with blonde-ish brown hair, and blue eyes, taller than her companion, who had fangs that poked out of her mouth, her brown hair and green eyes set on her shocked face. I would have screamed, but I knew it was futile, as the person who had been my mentor in fighting, and my mechanic disappeared from sight.

The only thing that went through my head as my sister screamed was; _Thank the gate that I didn't scream, Kana and Sky wouldn't be proud of that…._

 ** _Chapter One – The Child King._**

I groaned, as my head throbbed, showing that I was slowly waking up. I could feel Janine shaking me, and so I sat up, and then slowly stood.

"I wouldn't do that, you're pretty banged up. I mean, that portal wasn't for you…" a voice said.

"Wha…." I started, looking around, and finally my eyes set on a boy who looked about ten, his entire body weighed down by keys.

"Oh, right I should introduce myself." He said with a smile, and bowed slightly. "I am the King of Worlds. You stepped through my portal, which was meant for my attendees, Sky D. Sword, and Kana Shoto, of the Tiger Mechanic timeline."

I looked really confused, as he launched into a long story. I listened intently, as he explained Sky and Kana's stories, of how they went through many different timelines and worlds, using his portals to do it. This was only a version of them, the ones that had chosen to carry out tasks for him, and help others.

"So then, you see, they were supposed to return here, to this world to get some things for me. But instead, you used the one-time portal, and I can't get you to another world, as you accidentally became infused to this world." He explained, and I blanched.

"C-can't go back? What world am I in?!" I shouted, clutching my whimpering sister to my chest.

"Well, you're in the Full Metal Alchemist world, but in a separate branch/timeline." He explained cheerfully. "Seeing as how you can only somewhat defend yourself, and can already use your alchemy, I won't do anything, but I will give your sister the ability to use alchemy if she learns it." He said, before pointing a finger at us, and I felt something course through my body. I must've blacked out, cause the next thing I knew, I was being pointed in the direction of a nearby town. "I changed your money into this world's currency, have fun!" he shouted, before disappearing.

My eye twitched once, before I placed my hands over my sister's ears. I shouted in anger, screaming the 'f' word. I took my hands off her ears, and threw all of the extra clothes into our packs, and started walking. I sighed, and picked my sister up when she got tired. Eventually, we go to the town, and I made my way to a food stall. I plopped my sister down on a stool, and sat on the one next to her.

"Hello there missies, what can I get you?" The owner of the stall smiled.

I smiled back, and patted my sister's head. "A nice, hot meal for my little sister here, and a glass of juice if you have some." I said, pulling out my money, handing it to him once he told me the amount.

"But Alex, aren't you going to eat to?" She asked, looking up at me. I smiled back at her, and shook my head.

"Nope, I'm not hungry. You eat though, and we'll take a train soon. Hopefully we can find someone too…." I trailed off, lost in thought. How would I survive, if I couldn't find a mechanic that would take care of my automail? I mean, my arm could break at any time, and my hand was falling apart. I had to tie some of the pieces with string. One of my feet was starting to break, and that could become a BIG problem.

"What do you mean Onii-san?" Janine asked, looking up at me.

Oh, right. "Sorry, just thinking aloud." I sighed, and nervously fingered one of the bolts under my right glove. I turned to the man, as he brought out a plate of food for my sister. "Hey, mister? Do you know a good place to find automail mechanics, or a place for an alchemist to work?" I asked, as I fixed Janine's hair.

"Well, Rush Valley is the center town for automail, but why would you want to go there?" He asked, looking at me curiously.

"Oh, a friend of mine loves automail, and we were separated. I figured she would head directly for the epicenter of automail." I explained, waving my hand. "And for alchemy?"

"If you want to join the military, you could become a state alchemist, but people don't like the government's dogs." He said; a strange look in his eye. "You want to head for Central if that's the case, though East City is closer."

I nodded gratefully, and mock saluted him, before hopping off of my stool. Janine had finished her meal quickly, and so I picked her up, setting her on my shoulders. "C'mon, let's get some train tickets, eh, little sister?"

"We get to ride a train?!" She asked, and when I chuckled and nodded, she threw her arms into the air. "Yay!" she shouted, and I laughed.

I found the train station, and looked at the prices. I concluded that I had enough to get a ticket to Youswell and from there, East City, and still have enough to buy some new clothes and a meal, along with a night in an inn. I smiled, and went off to the closest inn, and, after dropping my stuff off in the room, Janine and I went off to find a shop that I could get some clothes at.

I found a nice black tank top and pants, along with a black headband and ribbon, along with a couple of plain barrettes. For Janine, I found a cute pink dress and bow, along with some cute pale pink shoes, that were almost white. We took them back to the inn, and showered off. I've gotta say, it was the best feeling I've had, getting all of the dirt and grime that had built up over the past couple of days, due to the fact that I had been giving all of the hot water to Janine.

After having a nice hot bath, I got Janine dressed, and left her hair down, putting the bow on the side of her head. I then got dressed in the new clothes I had, wrapping up my arms up to my shoulders, and my legs up to mid-thigh. I pulled on my ninja sandals, and made sure they were on right. I pulled my hair back, not in a ponytail, but more like Kikyo from Inuyasha, but lower down, tying it with the black bow. I pulled my bangs out, as they fell to my chin, and placed the headband in, and then used the barrettes to keep a section of my bangs out of my face.

I looked myself over, and one I found everything was good, I walked out, to see….. Nothing. Literally, _nothing._ Janine was nowhere in sight! I started flipping out, calling her name and searching high and low. Eventually, I drew the conclusion that she wasn't in the room, and I rushed outside. I ran through the town, screaming Janine's name, and looking for her frantically.

Eventually, I heard her scream to me as I neared a large grouping of people, surrounding some sort of demonstration. I ran through the crowd, earning shouts from others who I had bumped into. I saw her, and tackled her to the ground, rolling, and moving so that she was in my arms, and I was sitting cross-legged.

"You idiot! Why'd you leave the room?!" I shouted angrily, shaking her shoulders. I was really angry, but I felt bad when tears formed in the corner of her eyes. I stood up, and looked down at her angrily. "Janine, you know better than to run off! You're six years old! What if you were kidnapped, huh? Don't you remember the last time you wandered off on me, huh? It took me two hours to track you and those people down!"

"I-I'm sorry Alex…" she sniffed, but I wasn't even close to done.

"Do you have any idea how badly you scared me?! Do you?! You're all I have left, I can't lose you!" I shouted, folding my arms across my chest. I forced tears back, as the truth of how easily I could have lost her sunk into her mind.

"Momma's still around! So is big brother!" She shouted, and immediately I tensed.

Instead of answering, I just straightened, and grabbed her hand. "We're going back to the room." I said simply, looking straight forward. "And then you're going to stay there, while I come back and investigate this Cornello guy." I whispered, which did not go unheard by the boy near me.

"What do you mean, investigate?" the blonde haired boy asked. I was still slightly in shock, from coming here, that I didn't realize who it was at first.

I looked up, and blinked innocently. "Huh?" I made sure that I looked confused, and tilted my head slightly.

"You just said, 'and then you're going to stay there, while I come back and investigate this Cornello guy.' It's an exact quote of what you just said." He crossed his arms, obviously getting angry.

He was only an inch or two taller than me, so I only had to slightly tilt my head up. "I didn't say anything…" I said, trailing off. "Either way, I have to go and take Janine back to our room, as we have a train to catch first thing in the morning." I said, before picking my sister up, and, with a smirk, darted through the crowd, weaving my way to the inn. I dropped Janine off, and made my way to the place where I was sure Cornello was. Well, I flipped out a little beforehand, having finally come out of shock. I couldn't remember most details though.

I knew that if I was actually in this world, that there was a slight possibility that I could get my original body back. I couldn't quite remember everything from the manga, but I remembered that Cornello had something to do with the Philosophers' stone, and that was really the only lead I had on it so far. It was better than nothing, right? I had a book with me now (which I was reading as I walked); one I had bought on alchemy. I had a lot of knowledge on it, but it couldn't hurt to read more.

I was so engrossed in the book, that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, but somehow ended up exactly where I wanted; right in front of a large set of doors. I saw the Elric brothers, and smirked. I walked up behind them, and snapped the book shut with a loud _bam!_ They swung around, and, grinning, I put the book in my pocket.

"Ah, hello there," I said, before striding over to the door, and it opened on its own. "Shall we?" I asked, before walking in with ease. Whether it be by some unknown force, or by some strange power inside of me, I managed to look pretty confident and cool, and not trip over my own feet.

"Welcome to our holy church." I voice rang out; and the owner of the voice was none other than Cornello. "Did you come to learn our teachings?"

"Yeah, I want you to tell us a bunch." Edward said, looking up at him, though his eyes darted over to me nervously, as if he was wary of me.

I smirked, and put a hand on my hip, and smirked, my violet eyes narrowed. "Yes, I especially would wish to hear about everything. Such as the way you trick all of your believers with alchemy, which is plain as day itself. Oh yes, and I do believe I know how you bypass the laws. I would have to be blind not to see it at first glance." I said nonchalantly, waving my hand. "The philosophers stone, eh?"

He stopped scratching his head, an ugly look on his ugly face. This was befitting of his soul, which I could see, just as Kana had taught me. Not looking with the eyes, but with your own soul. His soul was an ugly, black and brown color, showing his greed and the awful truth of how he was.

"You are correct!" his voice boomed, as I chuckled, the Elric brothers long forgotten. I could feel Edward seething behind me, as I 'stole his thunder'. "This is a mysterious power amplifier that was said to be found only in legends. If we alchemists use this, we can perform tasks of great magnitude with little cost!"

I smiled wickedly, and half-glared up at him. "I've been looking for that!" Edward and I said at the same time, entirely on accident.

"Hmph! Why do your eyes look like they want it?! What would you wish for by using this stone money? Fame?" Cornello asked in a condescending tone.

"Ah, but what would a man who has made a religion through fraud want with it?" I asked, as my eyes narrowed. "There are actually people who are dying, or need that stone to replace things, not material things, but limbs, organs, curing sickness!" I started at a normal level of sound, but slowly rose in a crescendo until I was shouting, my violet eyes ablaze with anger, that which burned like the color of my hair, which was Alizarin Crimson.

"Oh, no I see, you don't just want this town, you want the entire country! People like you make me sick! My family was broken because of people like you! My innocent baby brothers were killed, because an awful leader decided that they would be threats!" I shouted, my arms wide, and my voice full of bitterness and hate. "But, I don't really care about any little plan of yours that you have. Rather, I'm only here for that stone." I said, my voice back to a normal level, my barely contained rage seeping out slightly, as I pointed to the ring on his finger.

He launched into another monologue, about how loved he was, and I turned to Edward, and once I caught his attention I mouthed; ' _Great,_ ** _another_** _monologue.'_ He chuckled, and I smiled. ' _Hey, I'm going to sneak into his office, as he's most likely too busy monologueing to see me. Bring him in later, I've kinda caught on to that little plan you and your friend were whispering about earlier.'_ I said, and he nodded.

During one of his little spiels earlier, the two boys had been talking, in hushed whispers, which I had overheard. I slipped into the shadows, and made my way towards his office. Apparently, I took a wrong turn or something, and ended back where I started. I saw Cornello let two chimeras' out at the same time, one about to blindside Edward. I jumped in front of him, and used my right arm to stop the cat/lizard thing, as its claws tore through my new clothes, and ripping up my sleeve. I gave a 'tsk' and turned to Edward.

"Jeez, I leave for two minutes and you get into trouble. Come on Elric, try and live up to your name as a state alchemist." I jokingly scolded, giving a small grunt as I kicked the cat in the side, flinging it across the room. I ripped the shirt I had on off, revealing the bandages underneath, and the horrible scars that were all over my stomach.

"Artificial limbs of steel, 'automail'." Cornello decided to narrate. "Ah, I see now, The Fullmetal Alchemist!" He shouted, staring at Edward.

"Come and get some you third-rate! I'll show you what's different between the two of us!" Edward shouted, and I smiled, he reminded me so much of my own brother, stubborn and striving to prove himself.

My smile faltered for a moment, as a rush of memories assaulted me, but I pushed them away. I turned around, and started walking back where I had come from, before I snapped. I launched over to Cornello and this one girl, landing on the railing with ease.

He looked like he was going to stop me, and I just glared and gave a low growl.

My eyes burned like fire, and I could feel my alchemy reacting to my emotions, something I developed over time. The railing turned to ice, but I moved on it with ease. "If you or that hooker chick try and stop me, I'll kill you. I need out." I growled, before removing the ice and walking away. I had transmutation circles into my automail, so that I could use the ice alchemy at any time, even though I already could.

I left that awful place, and went to sit out on the roof, and stared at the sky. After not too long, I feel, rather than hear Al walking up the stairs. I had already made the large speaker by now, almost entirely out of instinct. I had been taught to go on that instinct, and so I did.

He was slightly surprised, but sat near me anyway.

"Um…. Hi, my names Alphonese Elric…." Al said, and I smiled at him, my smile wistful.

"My name's Alex, Alexandria Gallows." I said, before looking back to the sky.

"Um… why were you here? Oh! If you don't mind my asking!" he added quickly.

"Of course. I'll explain later, but I think your brother is just about ready." I said, and he grabbed the speaker.

I spaced out while Cornello was monologueing again, and pulled out my book. I spaced out the entire time, and didn't even realize that I had walked away from that place, and back to the inn, Ed and Al following me. I snapped out of it, when I ran into the door.

"Gah!" I shouted, falling on my butt. "What the…." I looked around, confused. When I realized what happened, I groaned. "Oh come on! Again?! Why do I always space out?!" I shouted, and, grumbling, I opened the door to the inn.

"Um… are you alright?" a voice behind me asked, and I jumped.

I spun around, and stared at Edward and Al. "Uh…. Why are you following me…?" I asked, tilting my head.

"We're not following you! We're staying at this inn." Alphonese said, obviously embarrassed.

"Oh." I said lamely, and opened the door. "I'm also guessing you want answers…" I trailed off, as I climbed the steps with a wave to the lady behind the counter. I stopped in front of the fourth room on the right, and was about to open it, when Janine burst out of the room and tackled me.

"Alex!" she shouted, sitting on my chest.

"Why, the everlasting fuuuuuuu… heck, would you jump on me?" I asked/shouted, narrowly saving myself from cursing in front of her.

"I saw you coming up and…. Who are they?" she asked, her head tilting slightly, as she looked at Ed and Al.

I glanced up as I pushed my sister off of me, and dusted myself off. "Janine this is Alphonese and…." I trailed off, looking at Ed.

"Edward Elric." He said, looking at me with crossed arms.

"And Edward Elric. They were searching for the Philosophers' stone, and I bumped into them." I explained, pushing her inside the room. I turned to Ed and Al, smiling. "I'm going to get changed, come on over when you're done with whatever you're doing." I said, walking into the room and shutting the door, realizing that I was seriously fucked.

 **Sorry for the lack of an update guys, I lost motivation, but I'm somewhat back now! I get easily motivated by Reviews~ Oh, and Music videos. If you see any songs that remind you of any of the stories I'm writing, like a full metal alchemist video or something, send it my way! Oh, and if you do that, I'll give you an internet cookie, and a mention in my next chapter! Oh, and if you can guess who she didn't want to see, PM me, and mention it (not you Sky.) and I'll give you a sneak preview of the next chapter! Have fun reading!**

 **Chapter Two – I really, really, didn't want to see him again.**

I stretched, as being on a train was not one of my favorite things, since I have severe motion sickness when reading. So that didn't help to pass the time. Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention the fact that I had a stupid state alchemist glaring at me the entire time. Yeah, after skipping town so I didn't have to deal with Ed and Al's questions, I stopped at a small town not too far away, and hopped on the train going to the Youswell coal mines, only to find that Ed and Al were on it. Then, I preformed my alchemy at some point, and they told their commanding officer, and he told them to bring me to him in East City. And, yet again, I tried to run, but failed.

It wasn't one of my most shining moments. Anyway, I felt my back pop, and so did my neck as I stretched. Janine was asleep in the seat next to me, and I decided to get up. I was in bare feet, having taken my sandals off. I got up to use the bathroom, and as I got out of the seat I was in, I fell to the ground, and on my face.

Groaning, I winced, and looked back at my feet, where my right automail foot was scattered around. I slowly made my way into a sitting position, and winced when pain arced up my leg and into my back. I sighed, and slowly started picking the pieces to my foot up. After a second, Ed and Al started helping me, and eventually everything was back in my hands.

"Great, just fuckin' great." I mumbled, and ran a hand through my hair.

"Are you okay?" Al asked, looking at me, and if a suit of armor could look concerned, he did.

I smiled up at him, and gave him a thumbs up with shaking hands. "Yeah, I'm fine. This happens a lot." I paused for a moment, thinking. "Actually, I was supposed to get a tune-up right before I came here….. I hope Kana isn't mad." I added as an afterthought. I shook my head, and placed the parts to my foot in a pile, before putting my arms out, and taking a deep breath. There was a bright flash, and my foot was some-what fixed. It didn't move properly, but I could still walk. I decided that I should probably put some shoes on, and so I slipped my sandals on, after bandaging my legs and feet up.

I sighed, and started to stand, before Ed and Al helped me up. I nodded my thanks, as they set me down in my seat next to Ed. Janine was still asleep in the seat, and Al sat in the space next to her. I put my head back on the seat, out of energy. I knew that I'm sick, from not sleeping properly and exhaustion, but I would be fine like always.

"Does that happen often?" Ed asked suddenly, and I looked over at him, confused.

"What?" I asked, looking at him from the corner of my eye.

"Your automail. Does it fall apart often?" he clarified, looking at me with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, it has a lot of wear and tear, but it's durable. I was about due for a new set, when I came here by accident. My mechanic, Sky, was always somewhat mad at me for not coming in as often as I was supposed to, to get new stuff, but I never had the time." I explained, placing my automail hand over my face to cool it.

"You mentioned something about a 'Kana' and now this Sky person. Who exactly are they?" Al asked, obviously curious.

I let out a short laugh, and chuckled. "Who does?" I said, earning a confused look from the two boys. "Kana Shoto and Sky D. Sword are mundi viatores; World jumpers. They go from world to world on a regular basis, helping people out. They don't age, but they look like they're sixteen. Anyway, they found me right after I lost my limbs, and gave me automail. Kana taught me how to fight, even hindered as I was, and taught me how to protect myself. I adored her, even more than Sky."

"What do you mean hindered?" Ed said, and I sighed.

"Oh, the fact that I don't have a right arm or leg, and my left hand is missing." I explained.

"Anyway, Kana was quick to the point, and straightforward. She didn't take anything lying down, and she valued her Nakama more than anything. She was kind though, and would show it in small ways. She never took it easy on me, even when I just got through the surgery. Though the entire time that I was there, she stayed by my side, and the only time she wasn't, was when she was taking care of Jani for me." I explained a wistful look in my eye. "She wasn't afraid to kick some sense into me, especially when I got depressed. She was the closest thing that I had to a friend."

"Skylar D. Sword was the best mechanic I could have asked for. She was kind and smart, but funny and random. She taught me the basics of automail, so that I could fix it with alchemy temporarily. She taught me a lot about plants and herbs, and the basics of healing. She was amazing with plants, having an entire garden of her own. Sky and Kana lived in houses that were barely five feet from each other. Sky lived in a blue house and Kana in a green one. They were my mentors, and the closest things that I had to friends." The memories of my friends invaded my mind, and my smile faltered, if only for an instant.

I shook my head to clear it, and sighed. "Anyway, it's about time I got some sleep." I said before moving under the window, and falling asleep.

It wasn't a while afterwards, that I heard someone scream 'shrimp!' in my general direction. So as any regular person with a short height, and doesn't like to be called short would do, I jumped him.

"Who d'ya think you're calling a midget?! A pint-sized freak?! Eh you jerk?!" I shouted, kneeing the guy in the face, without even having to get a running start. I beat the guy up, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ed do the same to some other guy.

I sweat dropped, as I held the man by the collar, looking at my still sleeping sister. "How did she sleep through that? And who exactly are these guys?" I asked, looking to Al.

He mumbled something, and the man I had beaten up was tied to the guy Ed beat up. The two guys talked, as I looked at my sister. The guy I beat up, who I am as of now nick-naming Steve, along with the other guy, who I am nicknaming Gary, explained everything.

I sighed, and opened the window, hopping onto the top of the train while Edward and Alphonese watched. I looked at Ed and Al upside-down, through the window, and smiled. "Oh, and for the record, I could have done that at any point in time." I said, before skipping down the train, and to the engine room. A shot went off, and I landed on the next side of the boxcar, near the door, holding my right foot. I felt Ed land next to me, having been nearly right behind me. I pulled off my sandal, and pulled out the still smoking bullet.

I growled, and glared at the bullet. "Damn you! You're going to pay for this!" he said, holding the bullet between two gloved fingers. "First up is to recapture the engine room!"

I nodded, and hid myself a little better. "Alright. You go and get the engine room, while you're doing that; I'll be in that room where the hostages are, distracting the boss. Leave it to me, and I can probably have it wrapped up in a few minutes. Oh, and where'd ya leave Jani?" I asked as an afterthought.

"She's with Al; he hid her in his armor." Ed said without thinking, then realized what he said, and tried to cover up.

"Ed, relax, I already know that Al is only a soul in a suit of armor." I said, cutting him off, as he stared at me with wide eyes.

"How did you know?" he asked, shocked.

"Honestly, I've been picking stuff like this up for years, and if it wasn't for the fact that when I hit him gently when you guys weren't paying attention, and I didn't know the sound of it, I would never have known." I explained, running a hand through my hair with a sigh. "Yeah, but let's just say, I understand more than you give me credit for, and so does Jani." I said, before winking, and jumping up onto the top of the boxcar, and going through a trap door.

I smiled, having landed in the train car right before the boss's. I clapped my hands together, forming blades on both hands, and darted forward, just as I had been taught by Kana. "One, Two, three~" I sung, a habit left over from all of my training with Kana, (and my father), as I kicked a guard in the head repeatedly. I stabbed one of the four guards left with my blade, leaving a non-fatal wound.

"A tragedy that's built on destiny~" I sung, slicing through a weapon, and kicking the guard in the face. "It left you with everything but blood from the knife~" I sliced through another weapon, and kicked a guard in the head. I threw open the door to the next car, and hit a guard with the flat of my blade. "That I cut your heart out with, now relax, close your eyes, what comes next is the surprise~" I hit the next guard with my elbow, knocking him to the floor.

"Who are you?!" a guard shouted, as I placed a hand on my hip with a smirk.

"Th' name's Alexandria Gallows, your executioner." I smirked, jumping at the guard, but moving to the side at the last minute and slicing at the big man with an eye patch and mustache, but only really knocking him backwards. I smirked, and sliced at him, making him go farther back, before sending a flying kick to his head.

At some point I had resumed my singing, "this valentine still looms, in the darkest hour, the killing moon~" I sung, before knocking him to the ground, out cold. I felt a piercing pain in my back, and I realized one of the guards that I had forgotten about had come up behind me and stabbed me in the back. I let out a pained gasp, as I fell to one knee, coughing blood. I spun around, my leg out, and knocked the man to the ground.

"Attention all criminals. We have recaptured the engine room and the rear cars. All that is left is this car. Please release the hostages and surrender yourselves. Failure to do so, and we will have to remove you by force." Ed's voice sounded from the small thing that was now in the wall.

I smirked, taking the advantage of having my enemies' attention diverted, and stabbed two of them, slicing another's stomach, and hitting him in the back of the head. I let out a choked breath, and clapping my hands together, as ice coated the floor, and encased me, protecting me from the wave of water that surged through the car. I hid my wound quickly, as Ed and Al came in the car, and I saw that the boss-man had woken up. I helped them out and flying-kicked him in the face, before jumping back.

Before I knew what had happened, I was off of the train, and Janine was latched onto my side. I was stock-still, as Ed and Al talked to me.

"You are not okay, you're coughing up blood!" Al exclaimed, and I shrugged, wiping the blood off on my sleeve.

"It's fine, I lost a couple organs, I just over-exerted myself is all." I explained, popping a pill into my mouth from my pocket. "This pill thickens my blood enough so that I don't bleed out because of my lack of certain organs." I said, placing the bottle back into my pocket.

"Hi, Full-metal." A voice said from behind me, and I kept my back turned.

"Oh, it's the colonel. Hello." Al said politely, looking at the man with black hair behind me. I blanched, and kept my face lowered.

Roy and Ed had a bit of a conversation, that I ignored, and slowly pushed Janine towards Al, looking up at him. _'Hide her'_. I mouthed, and he placed her in his armor quickly, hiding behind something or another.

I heard a scream, and the man from before was there. "y-you! You son of a..!" he shouted, and I gave a 'tsk'.

"One, two, three~" I sung my customary song, jumping through the air with each word. "A tragedy that's built on destiny~" I sung loudly, as my right foot connected with his face, sending him flying. Flying right into a barrier of ice that I made with my alchemy from the water molecules in the air. I send him flying back towards me, and right into a fist, which knocked him to the ground.

"It left you with everything but blood from the knife, that I cut your heart out with~" I sung, swinging him above my head, reopening the wound on my back, as it spurted blood. I slammed him into the ground, and his arm broke with a sickening snap, but I was far from done. "Now relax, close your eyes, what comes next is the surprise~" I sung, as he pushed me off of him, and I executed a perfect back-flip, hitting him in the chin. I lunged forward, and he stabbed me in the side, but I got him back with a blade in the back, seemingly hugging him.

I pulled my blade from his back with a disgusting _slurp_ sound, and let him fall to the ground, unconscious. My smile grew, as for a second a sort of madness grew inside of me, before I shook my head, and sat on the ground. I ran a hand through my hair, leaning backwards on my left hand. I sighed, and flopped backwards, placing my right hand over my face, in an attempt to cool it off. I heard some people rush over to me, and I heard Janine shout my name.

I rolled my eyes, and sat up. "Jani, I'm fine, just a little banged up. This is no worse than any other of the wounds I got back home!" I scolded her as tears fell down her face. I sighed, and wiped the tears from her face with shaking hands. "C'mon, you're making me feel bad. Don't cry." Those were the last words I spoke, before I blacked out, my head hitting the floor with a sickening _smack_.

 ** _Okay, so thanks for the review, guest. I actually had this chapter written already, (as in, for nearly a month...) but i just kept forgetting to post it. So, now that you've reminded me, I decided to post it. I'm almost finished with chapter 4, and then I just have to go through, get rid of some things, edit, and it'll be posted next Monday. Along with other chapters for stories. So, have fun, review, (as it gives me inspiration) and don't give my friend Ninja Starr Pepsi._**

 ** _Chapter 3 – I really thought he would recognize me…._**

As I slowly woke up, I felt a multitude of things, over a small amount of time. I could a weight on the (at least, I'm assuming) bed that I was in. I could tell it was Jani, by the way she breathed, unlabored and soft, as if she was singing as she slept. I could hear people talking near me, obviously in the room with me. I could smell food, something sweet. I could see a whiteish light through my eyelids, and I could that my automail had been tuned up.

I groaned, and winced, as I slowly sat up. "Ugh. Either this is the result of one hell of a party, or I'm in the hospital again." I mumbled to myself, clutching my head in my hands, which was throbbing painfully. It felt like someone was stabbing me in my head, my back, and my stomach. I blinked a couple of times, moving my hands into my lap.

I saw that Roy, a woman, Ed and Al were all in the room, and I smiled. "Good morning everyone. How long was I out? A day, a week?" I asked nonchalantly, inspecting my automail almost like I was checking my nails, of which I had none.

"Alexandria, you're awake!" Al exclaimed, and I smiled.

"Yeah, so, how long have I been out?" I asked, as Janine slowly woke up.

"Only a couple of days, you're lucky to have survived missy! You are missing several organs, and you were sick! You should not have fought as you did!" An older male in his late fifties scolded, and I assumed he was the doctor.

"Listen sir," I started, as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. "No offense, but I don't exactly take things easy. I'm what you'd call a 'restless soul'. I would travel anywhere and everywhere if I could, injured or no. I've been injured worse anyway, and besides, even if I wanted to, I can't resist a fight." I said, standing up. "I'm not weak willed, nor am I the kind of person who sits idly by. I get it from my father." I said, walking over to the plate of food next to me.

The doctor gave a startled noise, before continuing on. "You should not be out of bed! You were dehydrated, and you were near starvation! When was the last time you had a meal, huh?!" he asked, and I stopped, fork in hand, and set the plate down.

"Hmmm…. I think I had one a week ago, if I remember correctly. Though it may have been longer." I said, deep in thought. I smiled, and ate the cinnamon roll in front of me slowly. "Actually, it may have been around ten days ago, yeah, that's right! I had dinner over at Sky and Kana's place! Aww, that's right, Kana was going to make my favorite…." I mumbled, and lowered my head, before shaking it and scarfing the rest of the cinnamon roll down, drinking it with a glass of water.

"Ten days ago?!" the man squeaked, and started ranting.

I stopped him mid-sentence with a flick to the forehead. Somehow he was even shorter than me. "Listen baldy, the reason I don't eat often is because of money problems, and besides, I was too busy to eat." I said, shrugging. "Yet another habit I got from my father." I mumbled, pouring another glass of water. I spoke louder, and smiled at the man. "Your concern is noted, if you could leave though, I would greatly appreciate it. Oh, and if you would release me from the hospital, as well, that would be nice. I'll just end up escaping if you don't." I added as an afterthought.

He gave a strange noise, and ran off. Ed turned to me, his eyes wide. "How did you do that? I can never manage to get him to walk away when he's on a rant!" he exclaimed, and I shrugged.

"Learned it from Kana. She used to get me discharged from the hospital as early as five minutes after I woke up. She would get this scary-happy look on her face, that said 'if you don't comply, I'm going to stab you in the face with a spoon'. She actually carried it out once."

"How did she stab someone with a spoon?" The woman asked, and I smiled at her.

"Even _I_ don't know that, and I was there when it happened." I chuckled, before turning serious. My entire torso (other than my arms) was bandaged up, and I was wearing a pair of black shorts. "I apologize for my earlier behavior, and not introducing myself properly." I said, giving the woman and Roy a small smile.

"My name is Alexandria Scarlett Gallows, and the little girl who's sleeping like the dead over there is my six-year old sister Janine Justice Umbra. Well, technically she's my half-sister, because we had different fathers, and her father was my uncle, but never mind that. It's a pleasure to meet you." I added, bowing low to them, my Alizarin Crimson hair falling in my face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Alexandria. I'm Colonel Roy Mustang, and this is Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye." Roy said, and I smiled.

"Colonel Mustang is my commanding officer, unfortunately." Ed said, and I smirked.

"Would you mind telling me what happened to you? And why you have so much automail?" Roy asked bluntly, reminding me of my father.

"Heh, you're just like Dad. I never actually thought that you would resemble him so much. It kinda hurts actually." I said, looking down at my hands, a small tear running down my cheek.

"What?" Roy asked, confused.

"I didn't think that you would recognize me, even if I haven't grown much in the past few years. I mean, the last time dad sent anything was right before he…." I trailed off, not wanting to go into that subject. "And the last time I visited was when I was six…."

"Alex…?" he asked, finally recognizing me.

"Yeah, it's me, Uncle."

 ** _hank you to madacat153 for favoriting me, following me, and this story, along with the review. Oh, and thank you to anyone who has, but I haven't mentioned. Also; I was done with this chapter more than i thought, so, enjoy!_**

 ** _Chapter 4 – Why do the good die young?_**

I smiled, and sat on the floor. Roy slowly walked over and shut the door to the room, and Riza guarded it.

"Where's your father?" he asked, not looking at me and I held up a hand.

"I don't want Jani to hear anything I'm telling you. Get someone to watch her first please. Oh, and for the night as well, I have some…. Things, to deal with, and she shouldn't be around for them." I said, looking to my now half-awake, yet hyper sister.

She pouted, and Roy sighed. "Lieutenant Hawkeye, get Fuery, Falman, Havoc, and Breeda in here." He told the woman, and I smiled to my sister.

I stood up, as the four men walked in, feet shoulder length apart, my body slightly tensed, like a snake that's coiled and ready to strike. Roy explained everything, and we went through introductions. I smiled, and looked over Fuery first. He looked like a nice, respectable man, and I smiled at him, nodding.

I looked at Falman, who I had been told would remember everything I told him. "Alright, it's around noon now, so get her something to eat, nothing sweet like ice cream though until she's eaten something with meat and vegetables. She likes cauliflower and broccoli best, along with carrots. If you get her a hamburger she'll be fine with that. She doesn't have to eat all of it, just most of it. Let her play until about three o'clock, then make sure she gets a nap. Wake her up at four, then at around six or so, give her dinner. She should be in bed by nine, and she needs a bath before bed as well. She can do it herself; she just needs help with her hair since it's so long." I listed off everything, counting each item on my fingers.

"She likes to read before bed, or until she falls asleep. She has a storybook in her bag, along with a few other things. It's alright if she stays up until ten though, as she'll sleep longer the next day. Oh, and she shouldn't give you any trouble. If she does she knows that there'll be hell ta pay." I said, looking at her. "Got it memorized?" I asked a grin on my face. He nodded, and I smiled.

I walked over to Havoc next, and surveyed him. I took the cigarette out of his mouth, and put it in his jacket pocket. "No smoking around my sister, I don't smoke, and she shouldn't have to breathe it in. If you need to have a cigarette, just step outside." He nodded, and I walked over to Breeda.

I looked him up and down and just nodded. I walked back in front of all of them, and smiled. "Okay, no girlfriends over to whatever place you're going to take her, alright? No alchol as well, by the way. Oh, and she can play chess as well, and rather likes it. If you have a spare board and pieces she'll play that for a while. If you take her to a library though, she'll be content for hours. She only needs help with some words now and then." I said, handing Havoc her pink backpack. Janine looked up at me, and I smiled.

"Can't I stay with you, Onii-san?" she asked, tears in the corners of her eyes.

"You have to learn to be with other people Jani, not just me." I said with a frown, crossing my arms. "Look, I've been with you your whole life; you can't stick to me like glue forever. I promise I'll see you first thing in the morning." I pulled a stuffed animal out of my bag. It was a stuffed tiger that Kana had given me for my birthday. "You can take Tora with you, if you want." I said, smiling. She hugged the stuffed animal to her chest, and I kissed her forehead. I pushed her gently over to the men, and Havoc held out his hand. She took it shyly, and looked at the floor most of the time. And just like that, my little sister was out of sight, for one of the first times in my life.

I sighed, and slumped to the floor, worn out. I placed my back against the wall, and gestured for Roy, Ed, and Al to sit.

"Where should I start?" I asked, looking at Roy.

"The last time you saw me." He said, looking at me as he took a seat in one of the chairs.

I sighed, and ran a hand through my hair, a nervous habit I picked up from Kana.

"Alright. It all started nine years ago…

 ** _I was six years old the last time I saw you, uncle. Things were fine, for a while, until daddy caught my mother cheating on him. My older brother, Marcus, stayed with us, and would sleep in my room at night._**

 ** _Anyway, people were afraid of dad, because he could use alchemy. Well, one day, they got so afraid, that they executed him in public. They hung him on the gallows, one of the reasons why I changed my name. I can clearly recall that my father kissed my forehead that day, secretly handing me his life's work in ice alchemy. The people of the town put my mother, uncle/stepfather, and my brother Marcus right at the front of the rows. They made us watch. Xandra, my mother, even though I don't count her as my mother anymore, watched with indifference. She had changed over the years. Uncle Gary watched with a mixture of sadness and happiness. Sad that his brother was killed, happy that he had Xandra to himself._**

 ** _Marcus watched, sobbing uncontrollably. I just…. Stood there, and watched, no tears falling down my face. My face was impassive, as I was taught to do by dad. Well, not even a week after my father's death, Xandra married Gary, and a year after that, a year of hell I might add, Xandra gave birth to Janine. Well, Xandra had tainted Gary's mind, causing him to not care about us anymore. Xandra left with Gary one night, when I was nine, leaving Janine with me. Marcus left to get them back….. But he never did. Or, to be exact, he never came home._**

 ** _Janine….she was a twin, when she was born. Her twin, Jenny, died of sickness two years after Marcus left. I didn't know how to take care of one child, let alone two. I… I performed human transmutation no too long after that. I…. I tried to bring her back, but I couldn't. I lost several glands and organs, along with my right arm and leg. Janine doesn't remember, because she was so little, but I do. I…. I can… no, never mind, I don't want to talk about it._**

 ** _I nearly died that day. Someone found me and took me to the hospital. Thankfully, I had washed the chalk on the floor off with my blood. I had been in the workshop, with a bunch of tools, so I played it off as a horrible freak accident. That was around when Kana and Sky found me. They helped people who wanted to help themselves, but couldn't. I had been forced to drop out of school, so that I could get whatever measly job I could afford to feed Janine, barely feeding myself in the process._**

 ** _Anyway, Kana and Sky had been searching for something in the hospital, and saw me. Or, rather, I saw them. They had put something on themselves, to make themselves invisible to all those who were normal. I saw them, and they took me in. I got my automail from them, and went back often for visits. When I was thirteen, I got involved in private matters of some gang or another, and got my hand cut off. I got another automail from it, thus why my left hand is automail._**

 ** _I practiced alchemy every day after that and Sky made sure that my automail had transmutation circles carved into it, so people wouldn't get suspicious. I had been on my way to Sky and Kana's when I saw a portal, one like the one's dad used to come here with me. I touched it, and ended up in this world. Apparently I can't go back, 'cause it was a one-time portal or something. Either way, I'm here for good now._**

I sighed, finally finishing my story. I held up a hand, making them pause. "Now, I know that you're thinking, 'oh, that poor girl' or something similar, or along those lines. But I want you to know, that I'm only who I am today because of what happened. Any questions?" I asked, looking up.

"Why did you change your last name to Gallows?" Ed asked, and I laughed, surprised.

"I changed it to Gallows because it was because of the gallows that my life changed. Also because I took assassination jobs, and was known as 'the executioner'." I chuckled, thinking back on my old life. I shook my head and moved towards the window. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to explore." I said, throwing the window open, and stepping on the sill.

Before anyone could stop me, I had jumped out of the window, launching myself to a nearby tree, swinging myself up on it. I smiled and stretched, as there were shouts behind me, before leaping down from the branch, and running away at a full out sprint. After a while, I was far from the hospital, and walking around with awe. Everything here seemed so much….. brighter, than home did. I smiled, and shook my head, clearing it of thoughts of home. I looked in the large glass windows of shops, loving the clothing that was there. I smiled, as I saw a little cherry blossom pink dress with a persian rose pink bow around the middle in the window, and reached for my back pocket, only to face palm when I realized that I left my bag back at the hospital.

"Dammit, just when I get out, I gotta go back. Stupid freaking hospital, stupid uncle, and stupid doctors!" I grumbled, deciding to just keep walking around anyway, but memorizing the name of the shop. I walked and walked until my feet grew tired, and I was near a park. I sat down under a tree, soaking up the sun. I heard shouting, and so on instinct I clambered up the tree, hiding in the branches.


	4. Crystal Speed - Fairy Tail

**Actual Author's note:** Alright so this is the first part in my "who wants to revel in the shame of my old fanfiction with me?". Yes, I am aware these suck/mary sues everywhere/etc etc, to be fair these were coping mechanisms, so basically wish fulfillment. I won't go into details but just don't be harsh, everyone starts somewhere. Anyway, here's this one lthat i'm actually really fond of but i never could figure out what to do with it lol

* * *

AN: I decided that I'd take the time to rewrite this chapter and the other before i move on. I don't like how I had the POV in first person, and I'm much better with third and second person.

* * *

 _ **Crystal Speed**_

 _ **Prologue**_

She doesn't remember exactly when it all began.

When did fate decide to pick her, of all people, to be the one?

It was probably her ninth birthday when it all started.

She'd woken up that morning as though it was Christmas, and her feet carried her down the steps to where her parents sat, her mother feeding her little brother in his high chair.

They'd decided to sit in the living room by the fireplace – feet nestled underneath themselves and wrapped in blankets because it was too early for anything else.

They looked up and smiled at her, motioning to the plate of eggs and bacon they'd left for her, as well as a glass of milk.

"Happy birthday Miyuki!" They'd exclaimed only a few minutes later, after she'd eaten, presenting her with armfuls of presents.

The gifts were all similar – hairclips and charms that she could attach to her backpack (which she often did). There was clothing (she'd asked for jackets) and some books she'd been dying to read, most of which were manga.

Then the best gift, the one she had loved the most, was presented to her.

The pendant was simple and somewhat big on her (when really it fit in the palm of her hand when she was older) and simple. It was shaped like a star inlaid with what looked like sapphires and amethysts.

She'd slipped the silver chain around her neck (it fit so loosely that she could do that), and smiled up at her parents, knowing the necklace would fit her as she grew.

She supposes that was what set it off - that single, beautiful, fucking pendant.

Granted, it gave her the bust luck she'd ever had, but what was to come almost wasn't worth it.

She'd worn it every day, and one day when she was walking home, she'd gone to cross the road when she fell to the ground, having slipped on a pebble.

The truck passed over her harmlessly.

After that (and other, minor incidents) she had worn the necklace every waking and sleeping hour. She showered with it on, practiced in Karate with it on, ran at track meets, the list goes on and on.

After several near-death experiences she decided that either the necklace was so incredibly lucky, or that it was incredibly unlucky. However, she was more willing to bet on the former than the latter.

When she'd asked her father at a later date, he'd said that he'd gotten it a while ago, saying nothing more than that.

That pendant, of course, was the catalyst for the events that were going to happen.

It wasn't until her junior year of high school that _it_ happened though.

It would change her life forever, and she knew there was no going back.

 _ **an: i own nothing but my own characters**_

 _ **Chapter One – In which her life is turned upside down.**_

 _Dark storm clouds roll overhead as the rain pours down around her, tapping lightly against her umbrella as she walks. Her best friend Eva walks next to her, chattering away casually as they walk down the puddle-filled streets of Southern Kyushu. Their original destination had been the park, but as it had begun to pour they'd decided to go to Eva's apartment (she had her own apartment now that she was nineteen) to hang out there for the time being._

 _She nods and smiles at Eva as she talks – 'her Japanese has become so fluent that there's barely any pause as she turns the language around in her head to translate it to speak with me.'_

 _She tells Eva as much, patting her on her shoulder before there's a tugging sensation in her chest, as though she'd done this same thing thousands of times before and she knew something bad was going to happen._

 _She stops walking with a frown, looking around to figure out what's wrong. She dully notes that her umbrella is no longer in her hands, and the phone that was in her other hand is on the ground as the rain seeps into her clothes and hair._

 _She can't remember dropping them._

 _The world violently shifts and swirls around her as she's pulled upwards, away from Eva. Eva screams for help and attempts to grab her outstretched hand as she screams for someone to help her. Passerby's stop and run over in an attempt to try to do_ ** _something_** _as she's taken farther away._

 _The world suddenly goes dark around Miyuki, and panic sets in._

 _I don't want to die._

 _I don't want to die_

 _I DON'T WANT TO DIE_

 _IDON'TWANTTODIE_

 _IDON'TWANTTODIEIDON'TWANTTODIEIDON'TWANTTODIEIDON'TWANTTODIEIDON'TWANTTODIEIDON'TWANTTODIEIDON'TWANTTODIE_

Miyuki shoots up in bed, covered in sweat and out of breath from her recurring nightmare. She slaps at the alarm clock next to her bed, turning it off and flopping back down onto the bed with a groan as she finally calms down.

Her phone goes off by her head, and she checks it to see that it's a text from Eva, telling her to get ready because she'll be over in twenty minutes to come and pick her up. Miyuki sends a text back, saying that she'll be ready when she gets here.

Miyuki gets out of bed and grabs the clothes she'd set out for today, going and getting into the shower just down the hall.

She yawns loudly as she showers, rubbing her eyes and stretching in an attempt to rub the sleep from her eyes and moving her body to wake up.

It takes less than fifteen minutes to wash all of her hair, get out, and blow dry her hair (thankfully her hair was only at the middle of her back now and was much more manageable than her previous, waist length hair).

She dresses quickly – a half shirt and shorts with tights and boots are all she throws on and she's ready to go.

She goes back into her room and quickly winds her ice colored scarf (with the scales of some animal she didn't recognize since she had never asked) around her neck, hiding the pendant from view. While she's there, she throws a couple of barrettes into her hair and grabs her phone.

Her messenger bag finds its way over her shoulder, the various charms and key chains she'd acquired over the years clinking together as she rushes down the stairs, pressing a kiss to her little brother's forehead and hugging her adoptive parents before rushing out the door.

Eva's walking around the street corner as Miyuki rushes up, smiling.

Eva makes a short greeting to her, and then smiles, her "oh my gosh I gotta tell you something" look present on her face.

Eva starts to talk about something that must have excited her – her hands are waving around a bit as she makes wild gestures.

Miyuki smiles, nodding politely back at her as Eva slips into English here and there, and her hand gestures start to make her lose the umbrella she's holding, so Miyuki gently takes it from her.

Miyuki turns her head upwards to stare at the dark storm clouds rolling overhead, rain pouring down and hitting the top of the umbrella with light pitter patters. Her feet splash in puddles as they walk and Miyuki smiles and nods an affirmative when Eva asks a question.

She isn't paying attention, but her response is a good one considering Eva keeps talking, this time with renewed passion.

Miyuki stifles a yawn – she's still tired and hasn't had anything to eat.

Miyuki turns to Eva with a smile, setting her hand on her shoulder to get her attention. Eva stops talking and turns towards her, and her grin gets even bigger.

"Your Japanese is very good Eva! I almost can't tell that it's not your native tongue!" Miyuki says with a smile, and Eva flushes bright red and turns away, pretending it doesn't mean much.

Miyuki smiles as they walk, nodding at her friend as she begins to talk again.

There's a strong sense of déjà vu in the way that all of this has happened, and Miyuki pauses to wonder what the déjà vu is from. A strange sensation tugs on her chest and she thinks on it, fear and anxiousness pooling in her chest.

Then she remembers.

It is her nightmare.

She can't remember stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, nor can she remember dropping not only the umbrella in her hands, nor dropping her phone.

Eva asks her what's wrong, stopping to look at her friend as Miyuki's breathing comes in short puffs and her eyes are wide and panicked. Eva almost thinks it's an attack, but it can't be, because Miyuki is looking around as though something was horribly horribly wrong.

Miyuki can feel the blood roaring in her ears and can feel her heart thumping in her chest as she throws her head around, the world suddenly shifting violently and street signs twist and turn.

The rain seeps into her clothes and she shivers violently, and scream ripped from her lips as she's ripped upwards.

She desperately grabs at Eva- anything she can really, and she sees Eva screaming for help but can't hear her over the roaring of her own blood and her own screams.

Passerby stop and sprint toward them as their hands slip apart, Miyuki screaming for her to protect Rei – to do anything she can, and Miyuki suddenly realizes exactly what's pulling her into the sky before her world goes dark.

The Anima.

AN: I forgot how long ago I wrote this. wow.

I'm not entirely sure I like the first person writing stance I took, but I'm gonna keep using it anyway because why not?

I own nothing but my OCs and my own special plot!

* * *

 _ **Chapter Two – In which I end up in another world.**_

 _Falling. I'm…falling?_

 _Why am I falling?_

I slam into the ground so hard it knocks the breath out of me, and I gape for breath for a few minutes before I can finally regain my breath. I groan in pain as I raise my head up, hearing the clacking of metal boots against stone all around me.

My eyes lock onto a pair of metal boots and my eyes slowly rise upwards, over the metal-clad legs, the skirt, simple bikini top and bare torso, for my eyes to lock onto the scarlet haired woman's eyes in front of me.

Erza Knightwalker.

I feel like laughing, but I suppress the noise, knowing that I have to remain completely silent and compliant until I can get out of this situation. This is obviously all real – after all, the dull ache in all of my body isn't illusionary, nor is the throbbing in my head.

"Tie her up." Knightwalker says, looking away from me and (presumably) towards the soldiers surrounding me.

My mind goes black and my body turns on autopilot as I launch onto my feet, swinging my fist into a right hook that connects with the nearest soldier's jaw, knocking him unconscious instantly. My left hand follows as I turn into a blur of fists and feet, knees and elbows, even using my head as a weapon to fight against the soldiers surrounding me.

Knightwalker seems to find it funny as she swings her spear in an arc towards me, and I barely manage to get out of the way as it cuts my bare side, blood leaking from the wound. I launch backwards as the butt of her spear slams into my chest, landing on my back and gasping for the breath that has been knocked out of my lungs.

The clicking of metal-covered feet nears me as I start to regain my breath, and Knightwalker smirks down at me, before slamming her booted foot into my head, rendering me unconscious as soon as it connects with my skull.

~X-X-X~

I groan as I wake up to a face-full of stone floor, and I'm vaguely aware that I'm lying partially on my side, but mostly on my stomach, which probably isn't good considering I can still feel the wound on my side throbbing.

"Oh, you're awake!" A voice says, bare feet padding over to me and I raise my gaze to connect with a pair of brown ones, and I'm suddenly aware of the hands helping me to sit up.

"Thanks," I mutter, and the girl smiles at me. It suddenly hits me as I look at her that I'm speaking to none other than Lucy Heartfilia, one of the main characters of Fairy Tail.

"Where am I?" I ask while biting my lip, looking anywhere but at the somewhat large-chested girl in front of me, which I am suddenly frighteningly aware of. I feel a faint blush coat my cheeks and I pray that she doesn't notice as I look around the room, thinking of anything but how close she is to me.

"You're in a cell in the Edolas castle. Did you get sucked up by the anima too?" She asks and I nod, turning back to look at her.

"Yeah, I was minding my own business, walking down the street with my friend when I got sucked up. At least I'm the only one that got sucked up by the Anima." I say with a bit of relief, biting my lip slightly as my eyes lock onto the shackles around my wrists, which are chained to the floor in the center of the room. My eyes then move forwards to the corner near the door, where my blue and purple bag sits innocently, like I'd never been separated from it. I sigh and lower my head for a moment, before realizing something.

"I forgot to introduce myself!" I say with a laugh, slapping myself on the forehead before extending my hands towards Lucy. "Th' name's Miyuki Fuyuko, nice ta meetcha!"

"I'm Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia." Lucy says, shaking my hand with a bright grin. "It's nice to meet you Miyuki-San."

"No, it's just Miyuki." I say, pointing one finger at her with a frown. "You can even shorten my name up if you feel like it, but I don't want any honorifics. I'm not that kind of girl." I explain with a shrug, smiling and looking away while I scratch the back of my head.

"Hey Lucy, can I ask for a favor?" I ask, turning to Lucy with a questioning look, my tone serious.

"That depends on what it is." She answers, and I nod.

"If I get taken by Knightwalker before you…I want you to keep a hold on my bag. There's a way to unbuckle the strap and wrap it around your waist. I'd feel better if someone had an eye on my stuff." I explain to her, and she nods.

"Alright, I'll do that." She says and I smile, before leaning back against the wall.

"Miyuki, what was your home like?" She asks, causing me to smile and turn to her as she sits down next to me.

I launch into an explanation of where I come from, which is long-winded and somewhat boring, but Lucy seems so into the story I can't find the will to stop. I tell her about Japan, about how I live with two foster parents and my little brother, going on to tell her about my history with Karate. I carefully leave out the fact that there isn't any magic – I say that most magic is fake and just sleight of hand tricks, and she seems to accept that.

She tells me about her home and adventures, which are a lot different from the point of view of someone that was actually there, not a page in a book or a scene on TV. We exchange stories for a long while, until we have nothing left to exchange. She grabs her book on the History of Edolas, and I turn so my back is against the wall.

Lucy sits next to me, and I lean my head on her shoulder as she starts to read, looking at the pages with interest. I'd always liked history class, but that was mainly because my teacher had a way with words, just like Lucy does. Despite how much I love Lucy reading to me, I'm still tired, and I start to doze off. My eyes open and close slowly as I struggle to stay awake.

Before I know it I'm out like a light.

~X-X-X~

I snap awake as the door slams open to reveal a regal-looking Erza Knightwalker, who strides to the center of the room, snapping the chains that hold me with her spear, before walking to me with long, graceful strides that make her cut across the room easily. She grabs me by my hair, and drags me out of the room.

Before the door slams shut I give Lucy a slight smile through the tears forming in my eyes. I fight back against Knightwalker's grip on my hair with one hand, with the other I search for something to cut my hair. I find a small metal arrowhead that I don't remember having. I think on it for a moment while I curl the sharp tip in my hand.

My mind flashes back to a couple of weeks ago, when I had gone to the local building that housed my Karate classes. There had been an archery tournament going on when I'd gotten there, so I'd stuck around to watch. One of the competitors was Eva, who had given me the arrowhead for luck because she'd used it to when the competition for her age division.

I must have washed my shorts with it in my pocket, and had forgotten about it until now.

I take a deep breath and run the sharp tip of the arrowhead through the hair that was just under the bunched up portion Knightwalker was holding. The arrowhead slices through the thin purple strands with ease, allowing me to lurch to my feet and away from Knightwalker. When I spin around to look at the woman, she seems surprised at my movement, and with a dark glare she lets the cut strands drop to the ground.

I take up the chains linked to my shackles in my hands, lashing out at her with them when she draws near. She dodges with ease, and toys with me in what I assume to be an attempt to teach me my place. I smirk as I catch her off guard, smacking the chain into her temple in a simple feint that she must have thought I was too stupid to utilize.

She looks genuinely shocked as I launch my other chain at her, which smacks her in the side. She manages to regain her composure, and catches the chain attached to my left hand when I snap it at her. It throws me off balance, which she uses to rush forward and slam her elbow into my throat. I'm so surprised that I don't react at first; simply letting my hands fly up to my throat and trying to regain my breath.

She smirks as she slams her fist into the side of my head, making my world go dark.

Again.


	5. Red Hood - One Piece

Actual Author's note: okay so this is so weeby oh my god. I might do something with these characters but i highly doubt i'll do anything else. Yeesh this is... it'

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 **Prologue – Red Hood: The beginning of a new life.**

I blinked as an annoying beeping sound went off, and I thrust a hand outside of the crimson sheets and scarlet blanket, knocking the alarm clock off of my bedside table, and I heard the tell-tale sound of the alarm clock breaking. I groaned, and sat up, my red hair a mess. And not that crappy dyed color, the real deal, like carmine, scarlet, crimson, sangria, cardinal, and regular old red, mixed into my hair, and all of it is natural.

Anyway, I stand up and stretch, popping my back. I quickly take a shower, washing up for the day. I get out, and dress in my usual attire of a scarlet tank top, maroon shorts, and a burgundy cloak, which I quickly push my arms through the sleeves, and pull up the hood. This cloak is my treasure; my brother gave it to me right before he left to sail the sea.

I smile wistfully, and sling the crimson bag that sits by the door over my shoulder and scribbling a hasty note to my little brother. My cat, Aurantiaco, sits next to the door, and follows me as I walk to the harbor, as per usual. I don't live on my own, younger brother/nephew lives with me, and I work so we can live like we do. I soon arrive at the dock, and I spot my friends sitting in my boat, the _Crimson Dream._ Vine, with a head of green hair, and Skull, with a head of black hair. Vine has a type of plant magic, as her mother is a witch, and her father a mage. Skull's a necromancer, and can summon the undead. He often does this so that we can train. I grin wide, my Venetian red eyes disappearing as I close my eyes.

The two see me, and wave big, then once I get close enough, the pull me in the boat. They've got everything in their own bags, (which are bags of holding, enchanted by Vine's mother as a gift for each of our birthdays) and were most likely waiting for me up until now. I grin wide, and they pull me into the boat, and we fell in a heap on top of each other. We couldn't stop laughing, but we eventually calmed down, and waited for my cousins. Each one appeared after the other, one with golden hair and eyes, another with blue hair and eyes, the last with green hair and eyes. Once we were all there, we set sail. The only boy of the three being Azure, with his blue hair and eyes.

You see, in this town, you're either a fisherman, or a store owner. My friends, cousins and I often go fishing as work though. It used to be that most of the people had to work in factories, and hard labor, under the old Baron of our town. I still have the scars from the factory work, and other hard labor. My smile falters slightly, as I think of the old ways of the town. I shake my head to clear it, and smile wide, my friends smiling back, seemingly knowing what I was thinking. Once the town becomes a small spec on the horizon, we lower the anchor, and cast the net, hoping to get some fish.

Once that was done, we sat down, and started talking. Vine looks at me, holding out a package. "This got mixed up in the mail, it was sent to me instead of you. I got it this morning." She explains, as I open up the package, revealing a replica of a devil fruit. We all love One Piece, it's our favorite manga. We've been reading it (along with many others) since we were kids. It was hard to come by, because of the poverty in the town, but we managed to mostly keep up with the series.

Anyway, I jokingly take a large bite of the fruit, and nearly gag. But, because it is against all that I stand for, I finished the bite, and the rest of the fruit. Everyone that's lived in the town since the 'Dark days' as we call them, hates wasting food, my friends and I included. I never waste any food, no matter what.

"What's wrong with you?" Skull asks, chuckling at the sight of my face.

"Blegh, it tasted awful, well, then again it was a copy of a devil fruit." I said, feeling strange. Vine and Skull's eyes widened, and they gasped. "What?" I asked, looking at my side. I gasped, and fell over. There was another me! "OHMYGODITWASAREALDEVILFRUIT!" I shout, clutching my head in my hands. I desperately claw for my bag, and take out a particularly old and large tome, and frantically search the pages.

"What are you doing?" my friends shriek, looking between me and the copy of myself.

I find a new paragraph in the book, and sigh in relief. "This tome is enchanted, and has a lot of information in it. It has an entire section called "Copy Fruit" in it, and I didn't realize what it was for until now. I'd bet every last gold coin I have on me that this is relevant to this topic. It only had the cover page until now." I explained, skimming through the book, and then finally finding what I was looking for.

"Then what are you doing?" they asked, still in shock.

"I found out how to summon, and disperse copies of myself. It says it right here." I explained, and then turned to the clone. "Copy-Copy Clone disperse!" I said, looking at the clone as it disappeared. I smiled, and turned to my friends. I was about to say something, but blanched. My eyes went wide, as I stared at my little sibling, who had hidden on the boat. "Alex!" I shouted angrily, and he looked at the ground, his seven year old eyes full of guilt.

"I'm sorry big sis, I wanted to go fishing with you…." He said, and I nodded with a sigh.

"Alright, just don't-" I cut off, looking at the sea with frightened eyes. I mumbled Aurantiaco's name, opening the pack, and she climbed in. I pushed Alex inside quickly, forcing the boy into the magic bag. "Stay here Alex, I'll be back for you." I mumbled.

My friends turned, and saw the towering wave, coming closer and closer. They grabbed their things, and shoved them in their bags quickly, then put them on like back packs, as I did the same. We huddled together, hugging each other for dear life, tears leaking out of the corners of our eyes. We mumbled goodbyes, and 'I love you' to each other, before the wave crashed down on us, and I felt Vine slip from my grip. I latched on harder to Skull, not wanting to lose my friends. I felt my lungs burning, and I couldn't take it anymore. I gasped in water, and my world went dark.

 ** _AN: Hey guys, sorry I deleted the old chapters, but I found that I had some new plot ideas I wanted to try out. The story that Red tells is the Story of Evil series from Vocaloid, but modified a little. I don't own anything but my OC's!_**

 ** _Chapter One – Red Hood; Story Time_**

I smiled as I ran through the tavern that my two friends and I own, dropping off plates and cleaning tables. It had been four years since Skull, Vine, Alex and I had ended up in this world, but nearly eighteen since we had landed in another world before this with my cousins. We had died and come here afterwards, at the same age that we had left our original world, but bore the mental and physical scars of the last. I had yet to find my cousins, but I did not doubt that they were here, especially since I constantly wrote to my cousin Azure, who I wrote to on a regular basis, using a magic spell to send the letters. I shook my head to clear it, and focused on the task at hand.

I was the only one of us that was able to serve tables tonight, as Skull was in the back cooking, and Vine was upstairs resting as she was sick. Alex was helping Vine upstairs by taking care of her. I heard someone call to me, and I turned, smiling to a woman pirate, who must have just come in.

"Ah, one moment Miss! I'll be right over!" I shouted to her, dropping off the rest of the food-covered plates in my hands. As I walked over to her table, I was nearly hit in the face by a boy with a straw hat. "Ah! Sorry sir!" I said, ducking and jumping over the table in a backflip, and landing in front of the other side of his table. "I'll be right back to serve you, I apologize for the wait!" I said cheerfully, and turned back to the woman.

"Are you quite done?" The woman asked, and I kept the smile on my face, trying very hard not to punch her. I had had a long day; don't you judge me!

"Yes, miss. Now, was there anything that I could get you?" I asked cheerfully, smiling at the woman and her companions.

"Yeah, you can get me a new plate of food." She said, and I nodded, looking down, and stopped. This food hadn't been touched. My eyebrow twitched, and I stopped my grab for the plate.

"I'm sorry miss, but this food hasn't been touched." I said, and the woman turned back to me with a scowl.

"I know that, I accidentally used a fork that touched the floor on it, and I want a new plate." She said, obviously irritated. I took a deep breath and kept smiling.

"Just eat around that part, and I'll give the rest of the food to the wolves later, alright?" I said, still smiling, even though I wanted to throw this chick around the room.

She glared at me, and in a flash, she had thrown the food onto the floor. "Not salvageable now, is it?" She asked smugly, crossing her arms over her chest.

That was when I snapped. In a flash I had picked the chick up from her seat, a grin plastered on my face as I held her in the air above me, and threw her into a wall. I walked over to her, and picked her up again by the collar.

"Now listen girly," I said with a sickly-sweet voice. "In this establishment, we don't waste food, got it?" I asked, tilting my head slightly and still smiling. I heard the click of a gun by my head, and my grin spread.

"Drop the captain!" A deep voice said, and I smiled even wider, throwing the girl into the wall, and spinning around, kicking the gun out of the man's hand with ease. I upper-cutted him, and hit his friend in the chest, knocking all the breath out of his lungs. I knocked each and every last one of the ones who fought me out, and was well aware of the growing insanity that stemmed from my back, over my heart.

Once I had incapacitated all of them, I threw them outside, and slammed the door back shut. I smiled and assured everyone that everything was alright. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and looked up to see Skull. He sighed, and looked at my wounds with a grimace. He gently touched the gash on my forehead, and winced.

"Well, it'll need stitches." He said, and looked over the rest of my wounds. I smiled, and waved my hand, walking away from him.

"Nah, it'll be fine. I'll get some bandages on it and get some sleep." I said, walking to behind the counter that we used for to go orders and pulled out a roll of bandages, and some ointment.

Skull sighed, realizing that there was no way to talk me out of not going to the doctor, he took the bandages from my hand, and pushed me up the stairs that led to where we housed guests, and our own rooms. I run the general store we own, and work there every day.

"Come on, we'll get you all bandaged up." He sighed, and I smiled. "I'll make you some Baozi buns once I've wrapped your head and your arms." He said with another sigh, his black shoulder length hair was in a high ponytail, his bangs falling in his face.

"Yay!" I cheered, as he wrapped my head with the bandages after placing some of the healing ointment on it.

"Hey shithead!" He called, and Alex came in with a glare.

"What do you want asshole?" He asked, and I rolled my eyes. He caught sight of me and his eyes widened.

"Red got into a fight, bandage her up for me so I can get to the customers." He said, handing my little brother the roll of bandages and walked outside. He stopped at the door though, and looked back at me. "Hey, it's story night, remember? I'll let everyone know, and get the stage ready." He said lightly, walking out of the door. I smiled, and let Alex bandage me up.

Once that was done, I patted his head, and walked out with a smile. I took the stairs that led down to the stage, and sat in the middle, my legs crossed. I had pulled my cloak on, and it smelled like roses, something that sickened me greatly. I smiled though, as everyone who wanted to hear the story gathered around, plates in hand.

"Once upon a time, in a faraway place, there was a Queendom. This Queendom was the Queendom of Yellow. This land was ruled by a beautiful princess. Though the princess only allowed her sister, a knight in red armor, to see her face. The knight was the princess's personal servant, and constantly stayed by her side. The only time she wasn't, was when she was in the town, helping the citizens or running errands.

"The knight was a girl with red hair and eyes, and though by day she was a knight and servant, by night she was an assassin. The only one who knew this was the princess. No one had ever seen the girl's face. The Queendom was a horrible place, known for its injustices to the people. The princess one day fell in love with a prince, a man of the dark country, and was heartbroken to find that the prince had fallen in love with the queen of the neighboring kingdom. Her pink hair and green eyes that both shone like pearls had enchanted him.

"The princess, her heart broken and mind out of sorts, called to her tactician, a man with hair that shone like the sea, and eyes that were like the sky. She summoned her sister as well; her hair like fire and eyes like blood, the princess spoke softly, as if to keep her heart intact, that it would break if she spoke too loudly.

 ** _"Make sure that the country of green is badly stirred."_**

"Her broken, yet beautiful, enchanting voice had said, before the knight rushed to the country. The knight found that the queen was really her childhood friend, but because of her loyalty, she carried out her princess's wishes." My voice cracked at the end, and I stood up, hastily pulling my hood over my head as I turned to face the stairs. I stopped in front of them, and took a deep breath.

"The moral of the story is that no matter how much of a bond two people hold, childhood friends, or even sisters. Someone will always betray you." I said softly, but loudly enough for everyone to hear. I walked up the steps, snapping my fingers to make the stone slabs that barricaded the steps close. I pulled my hood down and dried my tears, allowing myself a moment to calm down.

I walked slowly up the steps, my bare feet not making a single sound on the stone steps. I walked to my room, but was stopped in the hallway by Skull. "You didn't have to tell that one you know." He mumbled in my hair as he hugged me from behind.

"I know." I said, nearly sobbing, and I felt a tear land on my head. I smiled, and turned around, hugging him tightly. I smiled into his chest, before pulling away. I slowly walked to my room, and shut the door that was ajar. I walked to his room with a smile, where he was waiting for me. I pulled off my cloak and set it on a chair gently. I slipped under the black covers of his bed, and waited for him to climb in. He did so quickly, and pulled me towards him. He was still in his jeans and T-shirt, and I was still in my tank top and shorts.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, and I asked him why he was sorry, burying my head in his chest so that he couldn't see my sad face. "Because I couldn't protect you. I should have….. I should have stopped and- and-" He said, and I felt a tear run down his face and onto my forehead. I knew that he wasn't talking about earlier today. At least, not entirely. He still blamed himself for the scar that wrapped around my neck, thin but precise.

"No, don't blame yourself. It was my choice." I said quietly, and he hugged me tighter. I heard him sob, and it broke my heart. He gently kissed my forehead, and I nearly sobbed. He held onto me tighter, and all through the night he whimpered in his sleep and cried.

I couldn't help but blame myself.


	6. Storms - One Piece

Actual Author's note: jesus christ this fic is long and shitty. okay but to be fair this was written at 14 so...

Anyway i wanted to rewrite this but it's just... it's so bad, and weeby i can't do it. I might do something with it? like really really revamp everything because this is super bad oh god

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Okay Guys, this is my new fic, it starts out slow, but picks up. I'm trying out this new style of writing, so tell me if you like it! I'll have a poll on my account later on for pairings.

Disclaimer!:

Rai: ScytheGirl does not own shit, except for me, Indigo (who will appear later) and Yuriko.

Prologue Arc

Chapter One – Introduction

It started with a thought. A not-so ordinary thought as I stared out the window, looking out at the sea, the sounds of my sister's gardening hoe hitting the ground a nice background noise to my thoughts. I started to think as I waited eagerly for the storm to arrive so that I could stand on the roof of the house I was in, letting the rain wash away all troubles and pains.

"What am I doing here?" I mumbled to myself, staring out the windows with my eyes glazed over. What was I doing, sitting here in this small cottage on a small island off of the coast of Japan when I desperately wanted to go on an adventure and explore. You see, I love the thrill of adventure, not knowing where you're going next, and not knowing what could happen, whether you die or not.

Many people have told me that I'm going to kill myself one day from my love of adventure, how I stand on the roof of my home (when my sister, Yuriko catches me, preventing me from going up the largest cliff and standing there) when a storm comes. Because I love the thrill of a fight, the adrenaline that rushes throughout my body while sailing out at sea without a map (though this has only happened once, and I was found within a week).

The words dull, normal, and boring have the same definition in my dictionary. Living a normal life without feeling the cold grasp of death, never feeling the thrill of hunting down animals for food without any weapons. Living a normal life is meaningless to me, because I live for adventure. I lose respect for all people who clutch onto their daily schedule, wanted to cling to anything normal, when life itself is nothing but normal.

I live for the thrill of standing out in the open during a storm, energy crackling in the air, winds howling fiercely, rain biting all exposed skin, and the only light being the flashing of lightning all around, thunder adding onto the growing symphony of noise. I live for those days, the days that I can let everything go; all sadness and pain and sorrow and just… forget, I guess.

Everyone says I'm crazy, to love fighting and adventure and danger as I do, but I say that they are crazy. Crazy for not wanting to live life to its fullest. But I digress.

That's why I rushed out of my home and into the garden, grabbing my sister by the shoulders, and begged her to go on an adventure with me. She had agreed, and we spent the next few weeks preparing for our journey, and after visiting mom's grave from its spot in the forest, we had made our way to the boat, ready for our journey. Or, at least, that's what Yuriko tells me, as I can't remember anything about my adoptive mother or father; the only things I know are what Yuriko has told me. Another price to pay was my name, but I paid for a way to protect me on the journey for my sister and me with it.

Now…. This is when my memories of that day start to get really fuzzy. I remember a beautiful woman by the name of Yūko, and her apprentice/part time worker, Watanuki. She told us that she sold wishes, and that she was ready to give us an adventure, and I readily agreed. Everything after that is really fuzzy, and I don't remember much. Actually, my world had gone dark completely when Yuko placed her forefinger on my forehead, and there's just a blank spot from there, until I awoke on my ship, Dragon's Soul.

Now, most would say that the moment I awoke on the grand line was the start of my adventure, but I would have to disagree. Granted, that day was a great turning point in my life. It was a new start. I was able to start fresh, and live a new life.

I opened my eyes with a whimper, bright light piercing my eyes, and I briefly wondered why I felt the rocking of a boat. Then I realized that the smell of the sea was all around, and I quickly stood up, looking around wildly. Unfortunately though, this just made my head spin, and I had to kneel on the ground for a moment to catch my breath.

When I stood again, I looked around in a calmer manner. I was on the boat that I had known all my life, having built it with someone (though I couldn't remember who, but I figured it wasn't important) that I had known. I knew the ship like the back of my hand, and could walk it blindfolded. I couldn't help but feel like something was missing as I looked around, but decided to just brush it off. I walked to the railing on the side of the deck, looking at the sea below me.

That's when I remembered. I remembered the woman, Yuko, telling me that I would be taken to the world that I knew as 'One Piece', and would be four years before the series actually started. I stared at the sea, eyes wide. I was going to have an adventure. I smiled wide and nearly jumped out of my skin in excitement. After a little while I calmed down, and heard a groan coming from behind me.

Yuriko.

I turned to see my older sister standing up, looking around in a confused manner.

Her pale pink eyes were framed by white-pink lashes. Her eyes were wide and innocent looking, and when added to her slightly chubby cheeks and cute button-like nose, she gave the impression of a child, even though she was fifteen. Her white-pink locks framed her face, the bulk of her hair held in a ponytail. She was roughly five foot eight, a whole five inches taller than me, but she was also farther along in her growth than I, by three years.

She had an hourglass-like figure, her hips wide and boobs large as well, though she didn't like to show this off. She was an excellent fighter despite her….erm…'assets', as she sometimes called them. She had no trouble with fighting, generally using long range weapons, but proficient in short range as well. Granted she wasn't very good of a fighter, having never been around when I fought and never going hunting with me, but she still knew her way around a gun, that's for sure.

She was pale, and no matter how much time she spent in the sun she never tanned, her skin staying a nice porcelain white color. She wore a white tank top with a black X on it, and a black pair of pants, and no shoes, as she hated shoes very much.

For some reason she looked a lot like me, despite the fact that she's not my real sister. I remember finding her in the woods, making flower crowns while humming. I remember being with someone but….. Once again I couldn't remember.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts right before she caught sight of me, and she smiled, walking over and ruffling my hair.

"Well, at least we got to keep the boat that you and dad built, eh?" She asked, and the confusion that I felt must have been apparent, as she tilted her head, frowning. "What's wrong sis?" She asked, and it was my turn to frown.

"Riko…. Who are you talking about?" I asked, completely confused. "I only grew up with you." I said, looking up at her in confusion.

Her eyes went wide, and then went back to normal, cursing loudly. "What do you remember?" She asked, her hands on my shoulders, looking down at me.

I frowned, and tried to remember. "Well, there was that witch that was really pretty, and her name was Yuko, I think. We were out in the woods for some reason, and when we got there she granted my wish of adventure."

Yuriko sighed, hanging her head, before catching sight something, closing her mouth, which had been open as she was going to speak. She picked the paper up, and once she realized that there were two papers, and she handed one to me.

Rai-Chan,

I have granted your wish for adventure, and you are now in the world that you call 'One Piece'. How and when your adventure starts is up to you, not your sister. You each have your own role to play in days to come, so please say your goodbyes and prepare your bags (which are near you) for departure within the next week. The price that you paid for your wish was the memories of your adoptive mother and father, who you will not remember because I have taken those memories. You also paid for a way to protect yourself on your own and so you were given a devil fruit to protect yourself. You paid for this with your name, and so I have given you a new one. The power I have given you is a Devil Fruit.

You will find a couple of books in your bag, one is a book on Devil Fruit. Throw your old clothing over the side of the ship, because you would get many questions on the old clothing.

Yuko-San

By the time I was finished reading the letter, my hands were shaking. I methodically folded the letter, slipping it in my pocket and looked around for the bag that was mentioned in the letter. When I spotted it, I grabbed it and walked down the steps that led to under the deck, and into the bedroom that was there. I thanked the fact that I could walk the ship blindfolded, and quickly found the bedroom to change in. Once I was finished changing, I walked back up onto the deck, and strode silently onto the figurehead of the ship, staring out at the sea with blank eyes.

I threw my clothes over the side of the ship, letting the tank top, jeans and sneakers sink into the salty depths of the sea. I thought over many things. I thought over how Yuriko and I look alike, even though we're not related. Our face shape, and eye shape were the same, as well as our hair color. She had pale pink eyes, while I had ocean blue eyes with a wisp of gold near the iris though, one of the things that were different about us.

Then, almost without my own consent, my lips started to move, words flowing from my mouth in the form of a melody.

One sails the seas

Of life

And believes

The storms will lead you

Home

(We Walk

We fall

We learn

We fail

We stand

We fight

We help

Hate

Listen

And go

Love

We dive

We dance

We laugh

Bloom

Amaze

We hope

We pray

Leave pass)

I live in a dream

With open eyes I breathe

Again

I see all you fears

Together we can feel

(I feel) we can heal

And take the road less traveled o

To here in the new

Like diamonds we will shine

(We shine) we will rise

Two hearts, where souls are free again

We live!

We sail the sea of life

And believe

The storms

Will

Lead

Us

Home.

These open roads will call us with the promise

We walk the earth alone

(We walk

We fall

We learn

We fall

We stand

We fight

We help

Hate

Listen

And go

Love

We dive

We dance

We laugh

Bloom

Amaze

We hope

We pray

Leave

Pass

We walk

We fall)

This dream is a universe

And every soul shines

Where the darkness turns into light

I take you to fly with me

And follow the way

There will always be a new day

The last words of the song fell from my lips, and my lips slowly closed to form a tight line, the last notes ringing in the air. My bangs covered my face, hiding my eyes from my sister's sight as I looked back at her, sobbing as she stared at me. I couldn't figure out why, but I brushed it off.

"Yuriko." I said slowly and simply, getting my crying sister's attention. "I know that you got the same message from Yuko. I know that we must part within the next week, and that we must say our goodbyes." I said slowly, the smell of a storm all around. There were dark clouds on the horizon, right towards where we were headed, but I knew we wouldn't outrun it. The wind was carrying it too fast.

"Yeah, I know." She sobbed, not looking at me.

"Look at me." I said simply, and she looked up with tears in her eyes.

"This is my promise to you Yuriko." I said simply, voice thick with emotion. "Even though we aren't blood sisters, you are still my sister in all the ways that count." I said, and she sobbed again, staring at me as thunder boomed and lightning cracked in the distance.

"We will always be Nakama, no matter what. Even if you join a pirate crew that I'm not on, we will always be Nakama." I said, a tear rolling down my cheek, and I was thankful that my bangs were long enough to hide my face from her. "Even when fate rips us apart." I added quietly, and I didn't know if she had even heard me.

I felt hands spin me around, and I was pressed into my elder sister's chest, and we both sobbed, holding on to each other, saying our goodbyes mentally.

"I promise to always protect you little sis, even if we're seas apart." She mumbled into my hair, and I sobbed, holding onto her.

After a long while we separated, and with a gasp she looked at the oncoming storm, quickly picking up her pack and throwing things wildly in it. I followed suit, and within a few minutes we were standing on the boat, staring out at the incoming storm.

"Can we survive it?" Yuriko whispered, and I didn't dare turn to her.

"Survive it? Yes." I said, and she sighed in relief, before I interrupted her. "Make it uninjured and in the same place? No." I said, dashing her hopes. She grabbed my hand, and I held onto hers tightly, just before the storm hit.

I whimpered in pain as I sat up all too quickly for my injured body. I looked around wildly, studying the white walls with pale pink and lilac trim, small flowers painted just above the trim in pale baby blue and soft mint green colors. I was in a fine bed with orchid purple silk sheets and blankets. There was a fine cherry-wood dresser next to me, and on it sat a glass and a pitcher full of water.

I looked down at myself to see that my torso was wrapped in bandages, as were my arms and part of my legs. A light touch to my head confirmed that there were bandages wrapped around my forehead as well. I frowned, wondering what had happened.

I paused when the door creaked open, a woman that was roughly my sister's height walking in. She smiled gently at me, handing me a tray with a bowl of soup and a loaf of bread on it, a glass of what looked like milk on it as well.

She sat at the end of my bed as I devoured my meal, having dismissed her as a threat to myself. She had kind intentions, I could tell.

She had chocolate brown hair that fell in waves down her back, falling to her waist, and hugging her thin face gently. Her ocean blue eyes were sharp, but large, giving her a smart, but innocent look that was only helped by her thin nose that perked upwards slightly at the end. She wore a plain white dress that fell to her knees and hugged her curvy form without making her look like a 'lady of the night'. She wore a pair of nice white boots that went up to her calves and had little flower designs on them.

"I'm glad that you're awake." She said with a kind smile, nodding at me. "You were injured pretty badly in that storm, you're lucky to have survived."

I smiled politely, bowing. "Ah, thank you very much for taking care of me." I said with a bright smile. "My name is Rai."

"I am Hemlock M. Cassandra, and you're quite welcome Rai." She said, smiling back. I smiled brightly, showing my teeth.

"Cassandra-san?" I asked, looking at her curiously, my large twelve year old eyes large and curious

"Yes, Rai?" She asked, smiling at me softly.

"Where did you find me?" I asked, and she smiled, brushing my hair back.

"I was out taking a stroll, and I saw you washed up on the beach." She said softly, folding her hands in her lap delicately. "Ah, I found this as well dear." She said softly, snapping her fingers, causing a black bag to appear. MY bag. I hugged it to my chest, inhaling the scent of the ocean and flowers that was left on it.

"Thank you Cassandra." I mumbled, unzipping it and pulling out a doll I had been given as a child. I only remembered having it when whoever found me did, so I guess I've always had it. I hugged the doll to my chest, setting the bag on the floor with one hand.

"I think it would be best if you slept dear." Cassandra said softly, helping me lay down. As soon as my eyes closed I was asleep.

I smiled softly, watching the small twelve year old girl sleep, her face serene and peaceful as she slept. I gently brushed the hair from her face, and tucked it behind her ear absentmindedly, gently kissing her bandaged forehead.

I sighed softly, pulling the blanket up so that she wouldn't catch a cold, and giggled softly when she stuck one foot out of the covers. I gently pulled the blanket on the end of the bed up and over her, letting her place one foot out of the covers. I smiled and made sure she wouldn't be cold, and made sure there was a pitcher of water and a glass for when she woke up. I looked once more at the small doll in her arms. It was a girl with white hair that fell to her chin, wearing a plain white dress. On her back were two black angel wings.

I silently walked to Rai, running my hand over her back, not surprised in the least to find the lumps where two black wings were hidden. I smiled, walking out of the room without stopping, quietly shutting the door behind me and walking to my study.

I set a lock spell on the door, just in case Rai woke up unexpectedly, and walked with purpose over to the large crystal in the center of the room, floating in the air. The crystal looked like stone to a normal person, but to a fallen angel such as myself, it danced with a multitude of colors like a rainbow, but so much more. It took my breath away every time I saw it. There were colors that most had never seen.

The crystal flashed several times, and I pulled up a chair, sitting in it, letting my wings gently curl around my figure.

Soon enough, five figures started to blur in and out, before becoming solid, and sitting in chairs around the table that sat in front of me. The chairs, of course, were their own, due to simple astral projection that they achieved while their eyes were closed, just I had mine closed.

"Cassandra, why have you summoned us?" A woman with black hair spoke, her eyes were sharp and intelligent, indigo in color.

I fake pouted, crossing my arms. "Why, Amphirite, you wound me!" I said in a mock-scandalized tone. "You make it sound as if I have nothing important to discuss!"

"Like the appearance of the children?" Miltiades said slowly, and I turned to him with a grim expression, nodding.

"Yes." I said simply, nodding. "Because of you, Yūko." I said in a dark manner, and the woman had no fear, as she knew none of us would hurt her.

"I sell wishes, Cassandra. None of you have the power to bring them back, and you will not have that ability for a long time. Such as in the storyline that your children read, they would appear after the 'Two year time skip', when the danger is much more immense." She said grimly, and Raijin nodded, his white hair brushing the tips of his ears.

"So you brought them here so that they could at least somewhat prepare for what's ahead." He said, understanding, the conversation serious for once, unlike the catching up conversations that we usually had.

"Yes." Yūko said, nodding once.

"You should have warned us." I scolded, crossing my arms while making the chair disappear, letting the tips of my wings sink into the floorboards, keeping me upright as I used my wings as a chair of sorts, giving my husband, Raijin, a glimpse of my thigh.

He coughed discreetly, and I could tell he was forcing a blush down, just as my sister, Amphirite could. She always had to one up me though, and she split her legs just enough so that he could see her panties. I bit back a growl, only because she was also his wife.

"Yes, Yūko, you should have warned us." Calla, a woman with white hair, tinted with a pale pink color, scolded, having finally spoke up. "My shock was so immense when I saw my daughter that flowers everywhere were in a chaotic state; overgrowing and withering next to each other until I gained control over it."

"The earth of islands and mountains everywhere trembled due to my anger." Miltiades said with a frown. "Of course, I am no longer angry about it, but I am still not fond of the idea of my daughter out playing on the seas with pirates." He said with a frown. "Not that I'm afraid you'll do something Amphirite!" He added as an afterthought, looking at my sister.

"Ah, no, that's alright I understand what you mean." She said with a smile, before frowning. "The seas went into chaos for some hours, all in different parts of the blues. I could not get it in control for some minutes, but that was all it took for the sea to rage for hours, starting near the west blue. I was surprised it was held off from the East for so long." She said. "I will watch over your daughter to the best of my ability as well, Miltiades." She added, and said man nodded.

"And I will do the same for yours as she traverses islands." He said, the two nodding.

"I was shocked and angered as well, and a storm broke loose without my consent." Raijin said with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest. "It raged on for hours, and many boats were destroyed in the chaos.

"Several souls slipped away while I was distracted, and I was forced to chase after them." I sighed, biting my lip. "There are two left that I was not able to find, but rest assured they will be taken care of."

There were nods of acceptance, and then a silence grew.

"Could Aeris not make it?" Calla asked, looking around curiously, her arms crossed.

"Ah, no she was busy trying to clean up the aftermath of Skypeia." Raijin said, arms crossed. "The storm that raged across the blues affected the sky sea as well, and several areas are in disarray, and must be repaired before the inhabitants notice." He said, earning nods of understanding.

"Miltiades will be off, there are islands and flowers that need mending." Calla said, nodding once and standing up, before she and her husband disappeared with a simple farewell.

"Well, I'll be on my way as well then." Amphirite sighed, her legs coming together, flashing once before forming a long mermaid tail. She did a back flip and disappeared in a flash.

"I'll be off as well, I have some storms to contain and send on their way." He said with a smile, disappearing in a flash of lightning, leaving just Yūko and I.

"Her memories." I said simply, looking at Yūko. "You took her memories, didn't you?" I asked, and she sighed.

"Yes, the ones of her adopted parents." Yūko said with an impassive look as I leaned back in my chair.

"Ah." I said, nodding once. "She will feel incomplete now, I hope you know."

"I do."

"Goodnight then, Yūko. I have souls to collect, and I'm already behind by several hours now."

"Goodnight, Cassandra."

The light faded, and the room was plunged into darkness.

Alright! Chapter Two here we come! Okay, like I said, starts off slow, but there are only three more chapters until the introduction into the main story!

Disclaimer - I own nothing but my ocs.

Prologue Arc

Chapter Two – Chiyama Island

I smiled excitedly, jumping up and down in place as Cassandra locked the door to the manor. It had been nearly three weeks since Cassandra had found me along the beach and taken me in. Today she was going to take me into town.

Cassandra and I started walking down the path that led down the mountain, and into town. She was wearing her usual plain white dress with white boots, her waist length wavy chocolate brown hair was down as usual. We were walking at an agonizingly slow pace, and it was hard not to bolt off because I hadn't been exploring in forever.

Cassandra giggled from next to me, obviously seeing my dilemma.

"We'll be in town soon, and you can explore before we have to go shopping." She said with a smile, looking down at me, as she was roughly five foot eight, almost a half foot taller than me. "You can explore the mountain and the woods tomorrow." She added, and I hugged her tightly, just as we got in the town.

"Thank you~!" I exclaimed happily, my arms around her waist.

She laughed, and ruffled my hair.

"I'll be over in that café, go ahead and meet me there for lunch. If you don't, I'll come and find you so we can go shopping later." She said with a smile, and I nodded, running off.

"Thanks Cassie!" I shouted over my shoulder, waving at her.

I explored for a very long time, and ended up missing lunch. I had found a park where many children were playing, and in the end I got sucked into playing with them. I ended up using my wings to fly over them, and when the 'shot' me, I would let myself fall and end up on the ground, playing dead. We played for a very long time, so long that their parents came looking for them.

Then….Then something happened. The parents stared at me, my wings open as I played dead on the ground, the children having tackled me to the ground.

Then there was a scream.

My eyes snapped open to stare at the parents, one mother having screamed, her mouth covered with one hand. The fathers (and the mothers who were brave enough) ran over, pulling their children away from me.

"Monster!" They shouted at me, some throwing bottles that were either on the ground, or bottles of water and juice that they had brought for their children, at me. The glass bottles shattered against my skin, cutting into my pale flesh. I brought my arms up in an attempt to shield my face as tears streamed down my cheeks. It reminded me all too much of a past I would rather forget.

Then it suddenly stopped. I slowly lowered my arms to see Cassandra in front of me, two black wings outstretched and a thick cloud of anger coming off of her in waves.

"How dare you." She growled, her arms lowering and fists clenched. "How dare you hurt her?!" She screamed, a pulse of black energy suddenly exploding from her body, causing the parents to take a step back, before running.

She turned to me slowly, taking deep breaths, and relaxed. She crouched down next to me, and brushed my hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear gently. She sighed, giving me a soft smile as I looked up at her. I whimpered, tears falling down my face, and I wrapped my arms around her waist, sobbing into her chest.

She gently shushed me, one hand rubbing soothing circles on my back, the other pressing my face into her chest. She gently picked me up, her wings enveloping the both of us for a moment, the black feathers gently brushing my face. Then I blacked out.

I slowly opened my eyes, candlelight shining gently, as to not hurt my eyes. I yawned loudly, slowly sitting up, but not without difficulty. I felt a hand helping me stay upright, and I looked to my left to see Cassandra sitting there, smiling gently.

"Hey there sleepyhead." She said with a smile, placing a pillow behind me, letting me sit back up against the headboard.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked and she smiled.

"Oh not too long, it's only seven o clock now." She said with a smile, before snapping her fingers. "Oh right! I have dinner ready, do you want to eat it in here, or come downstairs?" She asked, and I thought about it for a minute.

"I'll come downstairs." I said with a smile, which Cassandra returned. She helped me up, and took me down the stairs and into the dining hall. There was a large table, and she helped me into one of the chairs, sitting across from me as we ate.

I piled food onto my plate and ate, and ate, and ate. Did I mention that I'm a bottomless pit? After I had finished, I leaned my arms onto the table, setting my head on them with a content sigh.

"Hey….Rai…?" Cassandra asked slowly, and I looked up to see her nervous face.

"Yeah Cassandra?" I asked, a smile spread on my face.

"When do you plan on heading out to sea?" She asked, looking at me with a nervous smile.

I thought about it for a minute. I had told her that I wanted to be a great pirate, to record my adventures, as well as my Nakama's adventures, in a set of books. To have my book be known at every port and every town across the world.

"Well, I can't really go out how I am now." I said after a minute or two. "I'm not strong enough to be able to protect myself properly, I don't know a lot about sailing, only the basics, and I don't have a boat either. It'll be a while before I can go out to sea." I finished, nodding in a sagely manner.

"Well….. I was wondering if….. Maybe you'd like to stay here until you leave." She asked, not looking up.

"I-I can stay…?" I asked, unbelievingly.

Her head snapped up just in time for her to see me flying towards her, before I slammed into her, having jumped across the table to hug her.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, hugging the woman tightly, only slightly surprised when she hugged me back.

"You're welcome, Rai." She giggled, sitting up with me in her arms slowly. "Now, let's go and get you to bed. You're going to have to rest up so we can start your training."

Okay, this is mostly filler, but it does have important stuff in it! Also: I used google translate on the french part, sorry.

Disclaimer - I own nothing but my Ocs

Prologue Arc

Chapter Three – Setting Sail

I smiled wide, my entire being filled with excitement.

"You ready Rai?" A voice asked from behind me, and I turned around to see a tall, muscular man with black hair that was tied in a low ponytail. He had sharp intelligent deep purple eyes, framed by black lashes that would have made many girls jealous. He had a white button up shirt with black pants on, a leather belt around his waist, keeping his pants up. He had a pair of black boots on his feet, and a crescent moon earring in his right ear lobe.

"Ah, sorry Dusk, yeah I'm ready." I said with a smile at Cassandra's old familiar, now my own. I had met Dusk shortly after my first day in town, and we had taken a liking to each other. Cassandra had set him as my familiar for when I left, and it involved a long ritual that took FOREVER. Dawn, Dusk's brother, was set free cause there's some girl who came here to the blues just like Yuriko and I had two years ago.

Cassandra made me take Dawn with me, so that the girl could have a familiar as well. Or something like that at least. I smiled and ran to the railing as Dusk and Dawn started to get the ship moving. Cassandra was the only one on the docks, and I wasn't surprised in the least. The villagers couldn't stand me, because I had my wings and my devil fruit powers, and in their eyes I was a monster. It didn't really matter to me anymore, because I had Cassandra and Dusk, but it still kinda hurt.

As the ship started to move, I smiled. It had been two years of intense training, and I had spent the past two weeks resting up, trying to recover from the wounds I had received while in the depths of the mountain.

"Remember to write, okay?!" Cassandra called out to me and I nodded, smiling.

"Of course! Please keep some rooms ready, because before I go to the grand line, I'm going to return with Nakama!" I shouted, and she smiled, nodding as she waved from her place at the edge of the docks.

"I will! I'm holding you to that promise, got it?! You'd better return before you go to the grand line!" She shouted to me, and I smiled, tears dripping down my cheeks.

"I PROMISE MOMMA!" I shouted to her, and the surprise on her face could be seen from here.

"I LOVE YOU!" She shouted to me from the docks. I had found out that she was my mother a while ago, roughly around my first year.

"GOODBYE MOMMA, I LOVE YOU!"

I sighed from my spot on the deck, utterly bored.

"I'm so BOORREEEDD." I whined, pouting.

"We'll be at an island soon Rai, just shut up!" Dusk shouted from his place in the crow's nest. I had been whining like this for roughly an hour, so it was only to be expected. I pouted and rolled over onto my stomach, before sighing and getting up. I let my wings unfurl, and wrapped myself in them, making the feathers increase in length and width so that I could make my wings turn into a cocoon of sorts.

Then I did what was natural.

I rolled around in my cocoon across the deck, temporarily forcing my boredom away.

"Rai! Stop that!" Dusk shouted, and I stopped for a moment, making it seem like I was going to stop and open my wings, breaking the cocoon.

"No thanks, I'm good." I said as I started rolling again.

Then he told me to stop again, to which I replied with a negative. This went on for a good hour, until he decided to climb down and stop me himself. Of course, I simply kept rolling away from him, using the sound of his steps to tell where he was. The chasing went on for a good hour as well, until there was a shout.

"Oi idiots!" Dawn shouted, and the two of us stopped. "Did you seriously not notice the fact that we anchored next to another pirate ship?" He asked, and I rolled over.

"This is why we can't have nice things." Dusk mumbled as I rolled into a vase. Why we had a nice vase out on deck in the first place was a mystery to me, but I brushed it off.

"Ah, we are?" I asked, not coming out of my 'cocoon'.

"Yes, we are. Now get your ass off the deck and come over here." Dawn growled, and I paused.

"Nah, I think I'll just keep rolling around." I said after a while, rolling around on the deck.

"You're stuck, aren't you?" Dusk asked, and I stopped, laughing nervously.

"Now what would give you that idea?" I asked innocently, whistling absentmindedly.

"Yeah, you're stuck." He mumbled with a sigh. "Oi, Dawn! She's stuck again!"

I heard a groan, and two pairs of hands were placed on my wings, two hands pulling my wings apart, the other two pressing and massaging the muscles to release and make my wings open.

"And…..here…..we….GO!" Dusk grunted, and my wings popped open, releasing me from the cocoon, the feathers returning to normal size. I fell face first into the floor, my arms out.

"Ouchie." I pouted, my wings falling down limply.

"I can't believe you got stuck again." Dawn grumbled and I laughed loudly.

"And I can't believe you never told me that there were other pirates that we anchored near!" I said while pouting. "I was so bored and you never told me that there was something exciting!" I whined, not even bothering to look up at him.

"It's your own damn fault for rolling around the deck like that!" He shouted, hitting me over the head.

"But I was so bored!" I whined, before sitting up. "Hey, I'm hungry." I said with a smile, which made several of the pirates (who had boarded when I wasn't looking) either sweat drop or face-fault.

"IS THAT ALL YOU CAN THINK OF?!" Dawn shouted, hitting me over the head.

"No, I just haven't eaten since I woke up." I frowned, crossing my arms.

"I'm surprised you've gone that long without eating." Dusk said with a sigh, before helping me up, and turning me towards a large man with a cool mustache.

I gasped and ran towards him, my eyes sparkling. "Woah! You're so cool!" I shouted, smiling up at him.

"Gurarara!" He boomed, and I smiled even wider. "I like you."

"I like you too! You're really cool!" I said while smiling so wide that my cheeks started to hurt. I extended a hand, which he took in his, obviously being careful so not to break my hand. "My name is Rai!" I said with a smile.

"I am Edward Newgate….but most call me Whitebeard." He said with a smile. "Are you a pirate?" He asked suddenly, a curious tone to his voice.

"Yep! I don't have Nakama quite yet, but I will soon!" I said cheerfully. "I want to make my sister join my crew too! Hey, can I come aboard your ship?" I asked suddenly, and he seemed slightly surprised, before agreeing.

"Why do you want to come aboard?" he asked as I took some steps back.

"Ah, because I wanna explore!" I said with a bright smile, running forward and jumping into the air, landing on the railing, using it to push myself farther, and over to the deck of his ship. "So cool!" I whispered to myself, looking around. I saw a man with blonde hair (his head looked kinda like a pineapple though…) and I laughed, running up to him.

"….Yes?" He asked, and I smiled wide.

"You look cool! What can you do?" I asked, and he didn't look surprised, but I doubted he looked like much of anything most of the time, with his eyes half-lidded like that.

"This." He said, his hand enveloped in blue flames.

"So cool!" I gasped, reaching my hand out to touch the flame. I stopped when there was the whistling sound of a projectile soaring through the air, and I immediately made my body turn into electricity.

I turned around slowly, the spear having gone straight through my forehead. There were several marine ships anchored nearby, and I suppose that with the excitement everyone had been distracted.

My wings snapped open, and I grabbed hold of the spear, ripping it from my forehead sharply.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" I shouted, twirling the spear in my hand, before electricity ran along it, crackling at the metal tip, and the smell of electricity filled the air. My head was still buzzing, and I knew that the hole was still there, but electricity was undoubtedly running rampant through it, quickly closing the hole through my head up.

I flew up into the air, doing barrel rolls and other maneuvers to avoid the projectiles flying through the air. I got in close to the ship, electricity crackling through my arms.

"Thor's…HAMMER!" I shouted, my arms (which had previously been lifted up in the air) came down, the electricity forming a rather large hammer, and slammed into the side of the ship. "Damn!" I shouted, darting away from the ship as a bullet nearly went through the tip of my wing, but I managed to dodge in time, and only managed the bullet to graze my wound. I darted back to the ship, and landed on the deck.

"Rai!" Dusk called from my ship, Thunder's Call. I nodded once, and he tossed me my staff.

"Thanks!" I shouted to him, nodding once. I quickly grabbed a leather band from the pocket of my capris, tying my shoulder length hair in a low ponytail. I had been forced to cut my long hair off out of necessity, because it kept getting in the way during fights and while reading and writing.

I took off one more, and quickly picked the first ship that wasn't occupied by the bulk of the pirates that I had been talking with. I quickly started to take down the marines one by one, using my electricity to zap them into unconsciousness, as I had no wish to kill them. Lives are not to be taken lightly. Who decides who is to live and die anyway?

I gasped in pain as a spear stabbed me in the back, catching me in a surprise attack. I spun around, sending a flying kick to his side, while hitting my opponent in front of me. Then I turned around, and saw that I was in a circle, surrounded by marines. Their leader, I recognized immediately.

Monkey D. Garp.

He had been on Chiyama Island three times before, and every time he showed up momma and I had been forced to place barriers up six miles all around the manor, and every time he would try and get through. There were several incidents where he nearly caught me, trying to get me to get the barrier down. Though he did so out of simple curiosity.

Granted I would have done the same, but still.

I took a deep breath, standing stock-still with my eyes closed. I heard murmurs from the marines, warning each other to be ready for attack. I slowly opened my wings, and in one short burst, I released as much energy from my body as I dared, before zooming into the air, flying above the ship to resume my air-borne attacks. Then I landed on another ship, just after being shot in the wing and forced to glide to any nearby ship. I just had to land on the ship that was the most crowded.

I tucked my wings in (with quite a bit of difficulty from the right one, seeing as it was shot) and resumed fighting with my devil fruit abilities and staff. I growled as one enemy knocked me backwards a few feet, and my back collided with pineapple's.

"Oi, blonde guy." I said simply, kicking a marine in the chest.

"It's Marco." He said with a grunt, fending off a marine.

"Marco then. Fight with me, kay?" I asked in a mature manner, surprising several of the pirates that had seen me playing around on the deck of their ship sweat drop while fighting. "My right wing got shot, so fighting from the air is out for me. I got stabbed in the back while fighting, and I have several cuts from random swords and several grazes from bullets."

"Fine." He said simply, and I smiled, my hair shading my eyes.

"Thanks." I said simply, spinning my staff in a wide arc and hitting several marines with the same blow, knocking them over. "STEEEERRIIIIKE!" I shouted while laughing.

"You seem mature one minute, then childish the next-yoi." He said and I laughed, linking arms with him.

He hefted me onto his back like that and spun in a circle, while I sent kicks flying all around.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." I laughed as he set me on the ground. "It's cause I prefer not to think, I like instincts to do the talking most times. I'm actually pretty well educated."

"That's surprising-yoi." He said, and I laughed, as there was pretty much no emotion in the older male's voice.

"Oi, Marco I think we're done here." I said after a minute, staring at the marines that were now on the ground, beaten. I looked back at him with a smile. "Take me to the next ship by any chance?"

"I can't carry two people." He said and I smiled.

"Fine then, take this." I said, handing him a thin aluminum wire, a dagger attached to each end. "Take one end and stick the dagger in the wood railing, and wait for me."

He took off with a nod, and went to the next ship, sticking the dagger in the railing. I smirked and threw my weapon to him with only a small amount of difficulty, and turned my body into electricity, darting down the wire.

With a nod to each other, Marco and I fought alongside each other once more.

The fighting continued for what seemed like hours, but was really only a half hour. After dealing with the surrounding Marine ships, Whitebeard had gave an order for everyone to get back to the ship. I went directly on board his, Dawn and Dusk having assured me amidst the fighting that the back of my ship was attached to Whitebeard's.

I was then treated by one of his doctors.

"-Are you sure that you can't have this medicine?" The doctor asked, frowning at me, and I frowned right back. "It works perfectly fine on everyone else."

"And I fucking told you three fucking times that I'm not LIKE everyone else." I growled, glaring at the man. "I have wings for fuck's sake! My biological make up is completely different from a normal human's!"

"Joseph, back off." A voice growled from behind me, just as the doctor, Joseph, went to speak. "Certain medicines help heal her, while others don't. THAT particular medicine makes her organs shut down, and her system goes into shock."

I turned around, about to ask the voice who the hell they thought they were, talking like they knew me (even though it WAS true).

Then I gasped.

I jumped to my feet, and tackled the person.

It was Yuriko.

~X-X-X~

After a long while of hanging off of Yuriko, she managed to detach me from her, and led me to the Galley. Apparently, after fighting like I did, Whitebeard had taken a liking to me. He had even asked me to join his crew. I had refused though, telling him that I was waiting for someone else before I would even think of joining a crew.

I was talking of Indigo, a girl who mom had mentioned several times. Apparently she had wished to come here like I had, and was wandering around now. Mom told me that she knew her parents, and that Indigo was a sweet girl, and really powerful. Or, at least she had the potential to be powerful. Yuriko had told (*cough*ordered*cough) me that it would be best if I stayed on the ship while I healed, at least for one week.

I was now inhaling food at a rate that no one had thought possible. I was stealing food from the others as well. It wasn't like they noticed, what with their gaping at me and wondering how this was possible for a fourteen year old girl.

"What?" I asked suddenly, the plates stacked high around me. "I have a high metabolism."

"Rai, sweetie, I don't think you should freak them out like that. Eat a normal portion for you, not double." Yuriko said while sighing, and I smiled. "Ah, Rai, do you know what devil fruit you ate by any chance?" She asked suddenly, and I swallowed my food.

"Yeah. I found out a little over two years ago." I said, then promptly inhaled another plate of food.

"What fruit is it?" She asked with a sigh, and I swallowed.

"Do you want just the name of the fruit, or do you want the long story of HOW I found out?" I asked, and Yuriko sighed.

"I'm sure that the tale is going to be pretty bad, and many, many idiotic things were done, but knowing what you did will be better in the long run. That way I can brag about it!" She said with a smile, and I smiled back at her.

"Well, I ate the Bari Bari no mi, a logia type devil fruit. A logia type devil fruit allows you to turn into the element of the fruit. Since I ate the Bari Bari no mi, I can turn into electricity. I would be in danger if I ended up being pitted against someone who ate something that doesn't conduct electricity, which would nullify my attacks, and go so far as to be able to keep my body in a solid form, instead of allowing me to transform into electricity, making me intangible.

"Logia users are also more susceptible to sneak attacks, which is why I was harmed by gun shots that I didn't notice, one having gone through my wing. I was lucky that I heard the spear before it hit me, right before the fight started. Had I not, I would be dead right now.

"The first time I found out that I had even EATEN a devil fruit was by Yūko when we got those letters. She gave me a book on Devil Fruit, letting me know the general types, the categories they were placed in, and ones that somewhat-known figures have.

"There was also a section on a few that were found out about, but had no idea quite their capabilities. The Bari Bari no mi was in the book, listed under Logia type devil fruit, sub-category tangible, sub-category energy type.

"I found out that I had eaten that one when I was fighting some marines back on Chiyama Island, and accidentally turned my body into electricity. I ended up zapping most of them unconscious on accident and ran home.

"Unfortunately some found me while I was running away and I accidentally electrocuted them." I laughed while sweat dropping.

"Awe~!" Yuriko said with a cat-like face, picking me up out of my seat and spinning me around while hugging me. "My poor sister~"

"Riko please put me down!" I whined, and I swear everyone either sweat dropped, burst out laughing, or did a mix of the two.

She pouted, but sat me back down anyway. But this time it was in her lap.

I sighed, realizing it was going to be a long week.

~X-X-X~

"Thanks a bunch everyone!" I shouted, leaning over the rail of my ship with a smile. One week had passed in a blur, and many of the crew had taken a liking to me, and the cooks shivered in fear whenever I came into the galley, because of my nature as a bottomless pit.

"I'll miss you all!" I shouted to them, leaning over the railing. "I promise to write!"

"Bye Rai-Chwaaaannnn~" My sister yelled to me, and I laughed, smiling.

I saw Marco waving lazily towards me, and I smiled, laughing lightly. For some reason I had grown strangely attached to the man over the course of a simple week. Whether it was because I respected anyone who fought with me on equal grounds, (even if they were fighting alongside me) or because he had saved my life several times.

I smiled and waved once more, before turning to my ship, sitting on the figurehead as I sailed away with a bright smile. It was only after we were out of sight of the Whitebeard ship, did I allow the tears to fall. They dripped slowly down my cheeks and down my chin, falling onto the wood of the figurehead.

I looked up after a minute, hearing the cawing of a bird. I instinctively raised my arm up as a perch, and the hawk gently landed on my right arm, its talons gently pricking the soft skin of my arm. In its beak it held a letter. I gently grabbed the letter, and the hawk flew up, landing on the figurehead in front of me.

I slowly opened the letter, reading through it quickly.

Dear Rai,

I know that you want to be able to contact us, so I have found a way to do so. This hawk is specially trained to find you, the main ship, and myself. His name is Falchion, and he can carry a thick stack of letters, so long as there is a way for him to latch onto them without ripping the paper. Love you sis, take care.

All my love,

Chihana E. Yuriko

I smiled softly, tears landing gently on the paper, gently blurring the ink. I smiled and wiped my tears away with one hand, and got started on writing letters.

It was just like any other day on the ship.

Boring.

As.

Hell.

I groaned, flopping onto my back with a half-growl half-whimper, pressing the palms of my hands into my eyes. There had been nothing to do, as we had left the Grand Line nearly a week ago, after having spent nearly six months in the East Blue, learning the language that most spoke as their base language, but spoke the common one on their own. Now that I think about it, the base language of the North Blue is exactly like French from Earth.

"Je suis tellement ennuyé!*" I shouted, slamming the heel of my foot into the deck floor, pouting. "Amusez-moi!**" I shouted angrily, looking up at Dusk. He sighed, and looked down at me with a frown.

"Rai, you know that I can't speak that language! I don't understand a word that you're saying!" He shouted down at me from the crow's nest, threatening me with one fist.

I stuck my tongue out at him and sighed, flopping over onto my stomach.

"O-oi! There's someone in the ocean! He's just floating there!" Dusk shouted down to me, and I gasped, rushing over to the railing. "Do something!"

"What do you want me to do?!" I shouted angrily, running to the galley and throwing the door open. "Dawn, man overboard! Some guy's floating out there!" I shouted to him, and he took off like a bullet, running out off of the deck and going overboard quickly, swimming towards the man with the speed of a fish. Oh, wait. No he just turned himself into a fish to swim like that, and now he's turned back into a human. Oops.

Dusk scurried down from the crow's nest just as Dawn tossed the man onto the deck with a grunt, and Dusk helped him up, as I sat there, crouched down in front of the man, tilting my head slightly to the side. He coughed loudly, a small amount of water spewing from his lungs as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Are you alright?" I asked, concerned for the man. He had hair that was colored like flame, and his eyes were a coal color. He was dressed in varying shades of red in black, and he had black boots on his feet.

When his eyes locked onto mine, he gasped, his eyes widening. Then they sparkled. He jumped to his feet, forcing me to stand up and take a step back as well. I looked up at him, confused as he grasped my hands, and I was faintly aware that my wings had gently curled around my shoulders in a smaller form, like chibi-wings, but a little bigger.

"Are you okay?" I asked, looking up at the man. Well, no, that wasn't right. He must have only been a couple years older than I, sixteen at the oldest, fifteen at the youngest. Anyway, his coal-colored eyes were sparkling, and I thought I saw roses in the background as he kneeled onto the deck, kissing my hand.

"Vos yeux brillent comme les vagues chatoyantes de la mer cobalt, le feu follet or autour de votre iris, mais un aperçu du cœur d'or, qui se trouve à l'intérieur. Vos lèvres rouges comme des cerises mûres, vos joues comme des roses et votre peau légèrement bronzée à la perfection! Ailes aussi sombre que la nuit, les cheveux blancs comme la lumière, et un cœur qui est un spectacle envieux! Mon amour, ensemble, nous allons allumer un brasier de la passion qui pourrait rivaliser avec n'importe quel dieu!" He said, and my blush continued to grow, until my face was on fire.

"Erm…." Was the only response I could seem to get out, and I tried to back away, or do something, but Dusk managed it before I did.

"Leave my mistress alone you womanizing asshole!" Dusk shouted, and Dawn gently pulled me away, taking me a little ways away and standing in front of me protectively. "I don't even need to know you personally to know that the little speech you gave was not a good one for a fourteen year old! You probably melted her brain or something!" He shouted, a flurry of kicks and punches aimed toward the sixteen year old who was dodging with a look of pure terror on his face.

"Dusk oh my god I didn't know she was your mistress! Please don't kill me!" He shouted as he ran away, but he winked at me in a 'hey there little darling' kind of way, and I blushed, ducking back behind Dawn.

"Do you want me to kill you dipshit?!" He shouted, kicking the boy to the ground.

"No!" He shouted, and I giggled, making the flame-haired boy turn to me with heart eyes.

"My love!" He shouted and I shrieked, ducking behind Dawn again as Dusk beat his head into the ground.

Then a new voice joined the fray.

"Ah, Blaze there you are!" A mature voice said with a deep, rumbling laugh that sounded like thunder, but his normal voice was a medium tone.

I peeked out from my hiding place behind Dawn, looking at the man. He had pure white hair, and his eyes were gold. His jaw was strong and he was tall, nearly six foot five in height, and he was muscular. He would be the kind of man that most girls dreamed about, strong and handsome and tall, with a nice laugh, but I couldn't imagine him and I together. To be honest I couldn't imagine myself with anyone anyway, for my own reasons.

"Hmm?" He hummed, catching sight of me. I squeaked involuntarily, and hid once more. There was a chuckle, and I peeked my head around Dawn to see the man step closer, and I hid again. "It's alright, I won't hurt you little bolt." He said kindly, and I peeked around Dawn again, and he pushed me in front of him, making me stare at the ground, my arms behind my back.

I was strangely out of character, but I couldn't tell you why.

"What's your name?" He asked softly, and I twideled my thumbs behind my back, not meeting his eyes as I spoke.

"R-Rai, sir." I said softly, looking away.

"That's a nice name, Rai." He said, and I snapped my head up in surprise, my eyes wide, before a grin grew on my face.

"Thank you very much! My mother says that she named me after someone, but I don't know who. She wouldn't say." I said, the words rushing out of my mouth before I could stop them.

The man chuckled, and ruffled my hair. "It's still a nice name either way. My name's Raijin, by the way." He said with a smile, and I smiled back, and he stood to his full height once more, instead of the crouched position he had been in so that he could speak with me easier.

"Ah, Mon amour ~" Blaze, as I now knew him, sung, spinning towards me with his hands clasped together. "Votre sourire brille comme le soleil, et ton rire est comme mille cloches ~" ***

Something inside me snapped.

"TAIS-TOI! Je ne suis pas votre coeur, votre amour, ou quoi que ce soit de la vôtre! Je ne vous aime pas, vous êtes énervant, stupide, exaspérant, et je ne vous aime pas!" I screamed, pointing my finger in his face, my body crackling with energy. He slowly shrank back, fear covering his features with every step forward I took. Every step forward I took, he took one back. "Si je dois me répéter, je vais vous castrer avec une cuillère rouillée, ou je vais avoir une griffe de chat vos couilles lentement et douloureusement! Alors, laissez-moi être vous rampez!" I shouted, and he whimpered, nodding furiously.

"Y-Yes mademoiselle!" He shouted, and I nodded once, sighing.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I will be below deck, trying to clear my mind of your face." I said sourly, not feeling good. I turned towards the man and bowed. "I apologize for my outburst Raijin-Sama, please forgive me. I have not been feeling good as of late. Please, make yourself at home if you wish to stay, but I will be going below deck for a short nap."

"Sleep well, Rai-chan!" He said with a smile, his eyes closed. "Thank you for the hospitality."

"It is no problem sir!" With that, I walked below deck for a short nap.

*I'm so bored!

** Entertain me!

*** My love~ your smile shines like the sun, and your laugh is like a thousand bells~

(Blaze's love speech in English): Your eyes sparkle like the shimmering waves of the cobalt sea, the gold wisp around your iris but a glimpse of the golden heart that lies inside. Your lips red like ripe cherries, your cheeks like roses and your skin lightly tanned to perfection! Wings as dark as night, hair as white as light, and a heart that is an envious sight! My love, together we will ignite an inferno of passion that would rival any god!

(Rai's speech in English): SHUT UP! I am not your heart, your love, or anything of yours! I do not like you, you are irritating, stupid, infuriating, and I do not like you! If I have to repeat myself I will castrate you with a rusty spoon, or I will have a cat claw your balls off slowly and painfully! So leave me be you creep!

Alright guys! Chapter Four! We have one more chapter until the main story. Please, even if you're a guest, review! It'll help improve my writing.

Disclaimer - I own pretty much nothing.

Prologue Arc

Chapter Four – Purple Metal

I yawned loudly from my spot on the figurehead, lying down and staring at the clouds passing overhead. It had been nearly a year since Dawn, Dusk and I had set sail from Chiyama Island. It had been nearly six months since I had left the grand line and went to the North Blue. Nearly Four months after that I left the North Blue, having learned the language quite easily. Well, what do you expect, I had taken several French classes as a child, learning the language. My time in the North blue was spent on a single island, re-learning the language and getting it perfected.

It also helped that momma constantly spoke it at home when she got angry, or wasn't paying attention.

"Oi! Dawn get your ass up here! There's a girl that went overboard!" Dusk shouted, and Dawn came up from the galley with a dash. I quickly sprung into action as well, getting towels to dry the girl off, and I quickly got a bed ready for her in the infirmary, which I had (thankfully) cleaned a few days ago. Dawn knew how to treat simple wounds, but I had the most medical experience, and that was saying something.

I guess it came natural at this point.

I ran back up, reporting to Dawn that the infirmary was ready, before going into the galley. I sat my head down for a minute, and I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, Dawn was waking me up for lunch.

I dug in with a smile, eating to my heart's content.

Then I grabbed paper and a pen, starting to write my weekly letters. I was halfway through my letter to the Gramps, when the girl walked in. I hastily stood up, staring into the girl's indigo colored eyes that were like steel.

She was roughly the same height as my sister had been a year ago, when I had seen her last with the White Beard Pirates. Her hair was black and fell to her waist, braided down her back. She had a metal clip that kept her bangs out of her face on both sides, the bangs falling to her chin. Her face was thin, like she worked most of the day, or trained constantly. The only way to describe her face was…regal. She had a thin, elegant nose, and sharp, intelligent purple-blue eyes. Her thick lashes framed her eyes, but were only medium length.

She was thin, but busty and had hips. She was wearing a spare dress that I had in case I grew, and it clung tightly to her hips and chest, obviously the most problematic spots. On her feet were the boots we found her in, and were slightly damp now. Her right leg was robotic, as well as her right hand. Slight burn marks were on her arms, and I recognized that she was a metal worker. Hell, she probably made her own prosthetics.

I smiled, and stepped forward, determination set into my mind.

I stared at the girl in front of me. She couldn't have been more than fifteen, a year younger than I.

There was only one word to describe her.

Cute.

She looked like she was eleven, but by the way she moved, and the mature look that currently occupied her features, I knew she was older than eleven. I stared at her for a moment, taking her in form, but my eyes never left hers.

She had snow white hair that spiked naturally, falling to her chin in an adorable, childish manner. Her bangs fell over her left eye, going halfway down her face, and I wondered briefly why she hid her eye. Her only visible eye was an ocean blue, a wisp of gold around the iris and small flecks of it in her eyes. Her nose was small and thin, perking up the slightest bit at the end, and I couldn't help but think that her nose was adorable. Her face was thin, but slightly chubby, like a kids, and that, combined with her small height of roughly five foot four I believe, was what made her look younger.

She was wearing a pair of electric blue capris and a fluorescent yellow tank top, a lightning bolt and storm cloud on each article of clothing, the color of the other article. ((A/N: Blue on yellow, yellow on blue)) She wore nothing on her feet, most likely because she was on her own ship, and had no need for shoes. She had stood up hastily when I entered, her hands dotted with ink, and a small patch of ink marred her right cheek, mostly having imprinted from her hand.

She then stepped forward, towards me, determination etched into her features as she smiled, and I smiled as well, wondering just how interesting this girl was.

I smiled and approached the girl, extending a hand with a bright smile.

"Th' name's Rai." I said with a smile, my head tilted to the right slightly.

"Ah, Storm Caller Rai, worth roughly ten thousand Beris?" She asked, and I nodded with a smirk.

"Yeah. I think it went up though the last time the Marines caught us." I said with a smile, motioning for her to sit at the table as I reclaimed my spot, picking the pen up once more, working on my letters. "If you'll wait just a moment, I'm writing a letter to Shirohige-ojii, when I finish I'll give you a tour of the ship." I said with a smile as I wrote.

So you see gramps, I'm doing well, and I hope to see you when I reenter the Grand Line. Though it will not be for a long time, because I'm currently in the East Blue, having fun and relaxing for a change. It's a nice change in pace, compared to the Grand Line and all. My bounty has also gone up again, having gone from twenty thousand to twenty six thousand.

How, you ask? Well, I was angry that the Marines messed up my Bounty Poster; having a poor drawing, rather than an actual picture. This simply scared them and urged them to raise the bounty. But, they did get an actual picture of me this time! I was really happy.

I hope to see you soon, but I want to explore the East Blue first, then I'll be reentering the Grand Line once I've gotten more Nakama.

Love,

'Storm Caller' Rai.

I smiled and gently blew on the ink to help dry it, before folding it carefully and placing it in an envelope. I looked up briefly, and sighed when I saw that the girl was gone, as Dawn was. Dusk was sitting at the end of the table, his head in his hands, asleep. I smiled gently and got up, walking over to him. I gently moved his head so that he was lying with his head in his arms, which were now folded on the table. I grabbed the spare blanket that I kept in here, and draped it over his shoulders.

I went back to my spot and carefully printed 'Shirohige-Ojii' on the front of the letter in large print. I hummed with a smile, before setting it on the stack of other letters, tying them all together with string. I pulled more paper out with a smile, and got my pen ready once more.

Momma,

I don't have all that much to write about this week. I managed to get my bounty raised because I sent a letter into the Marines, telling them that I was not happy with my (poorly) drawn picture, and that I wanted them to replace it with an actual photograph immediately. They jumped my bounty up by six thousand because of this. I miss you momma, and I can't wait to reenter the Grand Line once I have more Nakama, because then I can bring them to the island and introduce you to them!

Oh…

I had another….. "Incident", the other day. It was worse than the last time, and I ended up zapping off a large chunk of the railing and some of the deck. Thankfully we were close to an island, and I was able to control it this time but…. I was scared. I was scared and I didn't know what to do.

I paused in my writing when a tear dropped onto the paper. I lifted a stunned hand, shaking ever so slightly, to my eyes, the clear liquid dripping from my eyes. I took a deep breath, scrubbing my eyes with the back of my hand before going back to writing.

I also caught a cold, and am now on special medicine that we got from a doctor on the last island. He said it would clear the illness within one week, and it was two days ago. I think that's the reason I'm writing all this to be honest. You know what medicine does to me, unlike what alcohol does. That was one incident I do not wish to repeat within the near future.

Please don't worry about me momma, I'll be alright. I just hope that no one comments on my wings again like they did on the last island. I was forced to leave the town and run to the ship. I wasn't proud of it, not one bit. I've decided to start wearing jackets while ships are nearby, or when I'm in a town. I don't want someone seeing my wings and having a repeat of the last incident.

Anyway, I love you momma, and I hope to see you again.

Love,

'Little Bolt' Rai.

I smiled sadly, folding the letter and placing it in an envelope, before pulling out my crystal and sending the letter to momma. I sighed and placed my head in my folded arms. Closing my eyes for just a second couldn't hurt.

"You guys are FUCKING PIRATES?!" The girl, now known to me as Indigo, shouted, and I scowled, resisting the urge to hit the girl in the face. I had taken advantage of the fact that Rai was asleep, and snuck out of the galley, placing the blanket that she had originally placed over me over HER sleeping form.

"No. I am a familiar, Dawn is a familiar, and Rai is a pirate." I said slowly, my face expressionless as I stared at the girl.

"Don't you come near me!" She hissed, stepping backwards as I went to step forward. My eyes narrowed dangerously, and I picked her up by the collar, her feeble attempts to get me off were pathetic. Had I not already told her I was a Fallen Angel's familiar? I was imbued with my old mistress' power, and was much stronger that many people. The only time I was in human form was while I was on the ship, or defending Rai. I much preferred the form of a black cat to most other forms. Dawn often took the form of a dull yellow-orange cat. Dusk and Dawn. Complete opposites.

"If you say one word. One fucking word that insults or upsets my mistress, I will rip you limb. From. Fucking. Limb." I hissed, eyes narrowed. "You have no idea what she has possibly been through. She came from your old world, the world that cast her out because of the black wings that she has. Because she was beautiful. You have no right to speak to her." I hissed, my purple eyes narrowed dangerously, glimpses of red flashing through. "So much as hint at this conversation, and I rip your pink little tongue out."

I dropped her roughly, letting her hit her head on the ground. I turned back to her to glare once more, my eyes frosty.

"Oh, and no matter how much your mother holds sway over the seas that we sail on little doll, she still cannot imagine facing the wrath of a once-goddess now fallen angel, and the retribution of the flowers and land, should she kill Rai." I said icily, before smirking. "After all, if the elder sibling of a monster is a bigger monster, than what does that make the mother, hmm?" I asked, smiling in a cruel manner at the girl, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Dusk. That is enough." Dawn growled from behind me in a protective manner.

I turned to him with a cold glare, and I saw fear dart across his eyes, but he held firm. I smirked, pushing him out of the way.

"Though we may serve different mistresses, Rise, you know that I hold the most power here, especially since I'm our old mistress' daughter's familiar. More power to me, especially now that it is dusk. You may rule the land of the light, but remember, dear brother." I hissed, my eyes glowing unnaturally in the moonlight as I snapped my black wings open, ready to take off into the night. "I hold power over night, and as I have said many times, the night is cold an unforgiving, dark and foreboding. But, it holds within it soothing darkness to ease those beneath into slumber."

"That it may be, just as the light is harsh and hot, unforgiving as it beats down upon the souls below. But the light is comforting and kind." He said with a frown and I laughed darkly.

"Yes, but just as the dark holds dark powers, it forces the souls below to face their fears within the dark. I am death and you are life. I am an ugly truth, and you are a beautiful lie, dear brother." I hissed, taking off into the night, leaving behind a stunned Dawn and a confused and scared Indigo.

The small ship rocked gently with the waves as a cloaked figure landed on the deck silently. The figure slowly walked towards where the galley was located, silently going below deck and into the galley. The figure stood in the doorway a moment, before entering as it spotted a white head of hair, whimpering slightly as the girl slept. The figure walked up and gently cradled the girl in its arms, carrying her like one would a small child.

The figure walked down the hallway, and into the room with a sign on the door that read 'Rai's room'. The figure walked into the room, setting the girl down on the bed, before pulling the covers up and over the girl's sleeping form gently, brushing hair out of her face.

The figure leaned over slightly, and kissed the girl's forehead ever so slightly, before pulling back with a gentle smile.

"Sleep well, little one. May the night comfort your sorrows." The figure whispered softly, a soft smile pulling at its lips. The figure slowly walked out of the room, and closed the door gently, walking above deck once more.

I looked at the girl behind me with no expression on my face, her own in slight anger and hate.

"Whatever you must say, say it now." I said simply, looking back at her with no expression. "I have no time for your hateful expression with no words. Speak now, or hold your tongue."

She frowned even deeper, if that was possible.

"Hmph. You have time for anything, you're just sitting there! What could you possibly be doing while staring at the sea?!" She questioned angrily, throwing her arms in the air, turning around and walking away.

"More than you would think, sea wench." I hissed under my breath, going back to my meditation, which had been interrupted so rudely by her staring. I focused on the electricity coursing through my body, manipulating it slowly.

"You didn't even listen to my question!" The girl shouted, and I gasped, my body sending out bolts of electricity, and I barely managed to contain them to the point where they simply hit the deck, burning holes into the deck and breaking a part of the figurehead off.

I jumped to my feet and pulled the girl, (who was a couple inches taller than I) down to my level by her collar, glaring at her menacingly.

"Listen here, girl. I hissed, pushing her to the ground and slapping her, hard, before pulling her face close. "I meditate every day, for hours because I have a devil fruit, the Bari Bari no mi. A logia type fruit. I can turn my body into electricity."

"So?" She asked with a sneer.

My glare intensified, and I came nose to nose with her. "Do you know how volatile electricity is? Do you know how much it hurts to be electrocuted? Did you know that if I'm not careful, I could easily kill you, just by slipping into my other form?"

Her eyes widened and I threw her to the ground.

"No, you didn't. But you do now. Now leave, before I decide to kill you." I said in a hard voice, turning away and going to meditate again. Acting like this made me sick to my stomach. I hate having to pretend that I'm cold and heartless, but when you don't want someone to be hurt, you'll do nearly anything.

"Land!" Dusk shouted, and I jumped up, walking to the other end of the ship. "What do you want to do Rai?" He asked, shouting down to me.

"Dock near the town, if you can see one! If not dock wherever possible! I'll go on and scout the island and try to find a town." I said with a single nod, grabbing my jacket and snapping my wings open. "Restez sûr, je serai de retour avant midi. Si je ne suis pas, garder la jeune fille sur le bateau et nous avons de vous venir après moi, d'accord?"* I asked, and Dusk frowned.

Dawn had come up from the Galley, and he smiled, nodding.

"Vas bien peu de capitaine. Je vais m'assurer de faire ce que vous dites. S'il vous plaît être sûr que vous volez, et assurez-vous de rester en haut et hors de vue. Mettez votre veste avant d'entrer dans la ville ainsi. Assurez-vous que vous avez votre argent aussi."**

"Ne vous inquiétez pas, je vais être en sécurité, et j'ai mon argent avec moi." I said with a sigh, rolling my eyes before taking off into the sky, and towards the island.

*Stay safe, I'll be back before noon. If I'm not, keep the girl on the ship and one of you come after me, okay?

**Alright little Captain. I'll make sure to do as you say. Please be safe as you fly, and make sure to stay high up and out of sight. Put your jacket on before you enter town as well. Make sure you have your money as well.

***Don't worry I'll be safe, and I have my money with me.

Okay everyone, this is the last chapter before we enter the main story line. There will be two chapters before we get to the Straw Hats! Also: this does cut off quite unexpectedly, so I apologize. But I have my reasons for it, trust me. Also: This takes place roughly two years before Luffy sets sail. The next chaper will be after a two year time skip. Please leave reviews, because I'd like to know whether or not you guys like this. No flames please, I'll just end up blocking you from reviewing in the end. Sorry for the abnormally long authors note, please, read on!

Disclaimer - I own nothing but my Ocs!

Prologue Arc

Chapter Five – Bamboo Forest

I groaned, slamming my head back against the wooden stake that I was tied to. How the hell had all this happened you ask? Well, it all started this morning.

What? Were you expecting a flashback or something? No, I'm not in the mood for a flashback, so we'll just stick with the regular explanation.

After roaming around in the skies for what seemed like forever, I finally came upon a small town. I landed on the edge of the forest that bordered the town, and pulled my jacket on, over my wings (which I had shrunk in size to make sure no one noticed them). I then proceeded to explore the town, going into as many shops as I could possibly get into. Some things happened and I got captured by marines, and when I tried to escape there was this huge fight.

I was caught unaware and took a severe blow to the head, knocking me unconscious. I then woke up tied to a stake in the middle of the Marine complex, a pair of Kairoseki cuffs around my wrists. Kinda kinky actually, cuffs and bondage. Heh.

Anyway, after waking up, I found out that they were waiting for their Captain to show up and give them the orders. Fortunately for me, he was away on business for the next week, and no other Captains were around, so I had at least a week to come up with a plan. Unfortunately though, there was the small matter that I couldn't move very well, that several Marines kept coming around and beating the living crap out of me, and that the medicine that I had been given to help get me over my cold had worn off before I even woke up.

I growled in frustration, letting my head flop back down onto my chest. It had taken so much just to be able to lift my head at this point, between the exhaustion and the kairoseki cuffs that drain my powers. I pouted and turned to the marine watching me.

"C'mon! Please entertain me! I'm so bored!" I whined, pouting at the man who had his back turned to me.

He sighed, and turned around. "I don't care if you're bored pirate" he spat the word like it was poison. "I'm not going to entertain you."

I sighed and pouted sullenly. "Dude, I'm only fifteen, and you expect me to sit here without something to entertain me?" I asked while frowning. "I am also sick, the medicine I was given wore off before I even got here."

He sighed and crossed his arms. "What do you want me to do about it?" He asked, and I thought for a moment.

"Do you know any good stories?" I asked, smiling at the man while tilting my head slightly.

He paused, and sighed, as if he was having a serious internal conflict. "…..Yeah, I do." He said after a long while, and my smile grew.

"Would you mind telling me one? Just until I fall asleep please." I asked, adding the last part quietly.

He sighed and looked like he was torn again, and I knew he was debating on whether or not to actually tell me a story. He looked around for a moment, before pulling the crate up near me, and sitting down on it.

"Fine, I'll tell you a story, but you can't tell anyone I told you it, okay?" He asked, and when I nodded he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'll be considered a traitor if they find out, so let me know if anyone is coming up behind me beforehand. I'll pretend I'm smack talking you if that happens."

I nodded once, my face pulled into a grin. "Alright, and I'll keep this grin on my face and pretend like I'm taking it in stride." I said with a smile, before pausing, and speaking again. "My name's Rai, by the way." I said and he nodded.

"Gellen M. Forest." He said slowly, and I smiled.

"Nice to meet you." I said, and he smiled, chuckling.

"Likewise."

He cleared his throat, and started on the story.

Dusk frowned, looking at the sun that was just now going into the phase to begin setting.

"Shouldn't the lightning head have been back hours ago?" I asked with a frown, crossing my arms.

"Her name is Rai, you half-baked girl, and yes, she should have been back hours ago." He said with a frown, switching his gaze to the land nearby, which we had docked on. "I asked Dawn to go out and look for her. She has no sense of direction, and can get lost while walking on a straight line with arrows painted on it every two feet."

"Are you serious?" I asked, one eyebrow arched.

"Yes, I am serious. When Dawn gets back you'll be able to go with him to the town." He said, and I frowned.

"When will that be?" I asked, frowning even deeper (if that was possible). I wanted off the pirate ship. I hate pirates with a passion.

Dusk grunted and shrugged his shoulders, staring at the island intently. He hissed and dug his nails into the railing of the ship, his eyes narrowed and teeth bared as he stared off into the thick trees that bordered the island.

"You're sure?" He asked suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "You've been wrong about it before Dawn, so get a little closer." He hissed, his hands cracking the wood. There was a pause, and I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering if he had gone insane. Then he cursed loudly, and slammed his hand onto the railing, breaking it.

He spun around and walked away from the railing, his hands clenched in his shoulder length black hair that was tied in a low ponytail. He screamed in rage and stomped his foot angrily.

"Damn it!" He shouted loudly, throwing himself onto the deck with more curses, though they were muffled by his arms.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked, one eyebrow raised.

He growled and sat up. "Well, for starters, Rai was captured by Marines, is now talking with one, and laughing!" He shouted angrily, throwing his arms in the air. "I can't get through to her with my telepathy, because she has Kairoseki cuffs on, and is tied to a stake. Dawn won't do anything to help her, because it's not his place. He's also going to hold me back as well, and force me not to intervene, as I am not allowed to either."

"Not allowed to help her? Who told you that you can't help her?" I asked, frowning.

"That's not gonna work little girl, I'm not telling you anything." He growled, crossing his arms as Dawn landed on the deck.

"Can't say anything either, sorry Indigo-san." He said with a apologetic smile as my gaze turned to him, looking for answers. "Would you like to gather your things? Rai offered to pay for a hotel room for you for several nights, and give you money for passage on another ship."

I growled, but nodded, grabbing the bag that I had, the only surviving thing of mine. My money was all gone, the only things that I still had was the bag and the pair of clothes I had, along with my boots, and my emergency repair kit for my right hand and leg.

I took a running start, and landed on the land that was only slightly far away. I waited for Dawn to land next to me and lead before I started walking. As I walked I thought about everything. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to sneak into the Marine base and thank the lightni- erm….. Rai. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to thank Rai for everything before I left her to die.

"-Then the fish came right up out of the water, and nearly ate the entire ship!" Forest exclaimed, and I laughed. The marine officer was really nice once you got to know him, and he was on his fifth story of the night.

My eyes still scanned the area around me for anyone, and I kept laughing, but this time in a mocking way. "Seriously? Did you really think your threats mean anything to me?" I asked with a skeptical expression, and thankfully the man got the hint immediately. He growled, crossing his arms.

"No, but actions speak louder than words, don't they?" He asked, and when I realized it was Dawn who was there, I sighed in relief, my expression back to carefree.

"It's alright, it's my friend Dawn." I said, and Forest turned around, looking at the winged man, and the black haired girl in tow.

"Ah, so you've made friends with a marine, have you?" He asked curiously, and I nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, Forest is really nice!" I said with a smile, before pouting. "You're not here to free me, are you?"

"Sorry Rai-chan, but no, I'm not here to free you. It goes directly against the big guy's orders, sorry." Dawn said apologetically, and I sighed.

"Dusk can't come and get me either, can he?" I asked, and Dawn nodded, which made me pout even more. "Awww, but I'll get bored! I can stay up when a story's being told, but I'll die of boredom!" I pouted, and Dawn nodded apologetically.

"What did you do this time?" A new voice asked, and I smiled, recognizing it as Dusk.

"Oh nothing much Dusk!" I said with a smile, not answering his question. He sighed, realizing I wasn't going to tell him, and walked up to me with a frown. His frown deepened and his eyes narrowed when he saw that I was covered with blood.

He gently took a handkerchief and wiped the blood from my eyes. I smiled and leaned into his comforting touch. "Hey now, I can't very well clean you up if you're leaning into my hand." He said gently, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I know Dusk." I whispered, my eyes heavy, a small smile on my face.

"Hey, Rai?" A voice asked, and I looked up to see Indigo there. I hummed, my eyes heavy and starting to close. "I…..wanted to thank you…..for saving me and everything. I'm going to go on and stay at an inn and leave soon." She said, and I nodded slightly, my eyes sliding shut.

"Welcome." I mumbled, drifting off into sleep.

I hummed gently as I walked down the street, Dawn padding along next to me in his cat form. He was orange-yellow with hints of red, like the sunrise. I hummed thoughtfully, studying the assortment of shops and inns around me. After saying thank you to Rai, I had left to find an inn, and went to sleep for the night. Dawn said something about me being his new mistress, and that he was my familiar now.

I found a nice inn that was also a restaurant after a while, and I walked in, sitting at a table. A boy who looked about ten came over, and asked for my order.

"You work here?" I asked, blinking in surprise.

"Yes miss, he does work here." A boy that was around my age said, and I smiled.

"Oh, I was just a little surprised is all; not many boys his age would be working." I said apologetically. "At least, not back home they didn't." I added, my eyes closed. Dawn was curled up in the seat next to me, purring slightly as the morning light filtered onto his body.

"Ah, well, your order miss?" He asked, and I smiled, giving him my order of coffee and eggs and bacon. The little boy went with him, and then the two came back, the older boy with my coffee, and the younger carrying the plate with his chest puffed out like he was proud.

"Here you are miss, a plate of eggs and bacon, and a cup of coffee." The elder boy said with a smile, and the younger set the plate in front of me as his brother (I assumed he was his brother at least) set the coffee down.

"Thank you very much…." I said, trailing off looking for a name.

"My name is Darren, and this is Evra." He said with a smile, his grey-black eyes disappearing for a moment. His hair was black and styled oddly, but I thought it was kinda cute. His brother had pale-green hair and was covered in scales, though there were only patches of the scales on his face. He had yellow eyes that sparkled.

Thankfully I had seen stranger things on the Grand Line (where I had first woken up) and didn't react any differently than normal, as I had not gotten a good look at the two before now.

"It's nice to meet you Darren, you too Evra." I said with a smile, and the two smiled back.

Evra smiled, and ran away quickly, grabbing a bento box from behind the counter up front. A man slowly trudged down the stairs, and in the span of time that it took me to blink, Evra was back over at the table, and the man had walked up as well.

"Ah, good morning ." Darren said with a smile, and Evra smiled too, mumbling a good morning.

"Good morning Darren, Evra, miss." He said, adding the miss on at the end, and I got a good look at him. His orange hair was cut neatly, combed back and most likely held back with some sort of hair product. He had a scar that ran down the left side of his face, and he wore a black suit vest and pants, a white button up shirt underneath. He had a long red coat on that reached his ankles.

"You just wake up?" Darren asked, and the man nodded.

"Yes, I came down to get some water, and then I will be going back to sleep. I must go to work early tonight." He said, nodding to the two boys, and smiling at me before walking away, and presumably into the kitchen.

"Darren, I'm going now." Evra said, and Darren frowned.

"Evra, are you going to see her?" Darren asked, and Evra nodded.

"Yup! Onee-chan must be hungry, right? I figured she would want something to eat." Evra said, and Darren sighed.

"Be careful Evra. I know you're sneaky but….just be careful." Darren said, sitting down in the chair opposite me as Evra ran off.

"Where's he going?" I asked curiously, well aware that Darren was probably going to start flirting with me at some point.

"Have you heard about what happened yesterday?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"Was it about the Marines on the island capturing that pirate girl?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Yeah. The main income of this island comes from pirates though, so the marines have to let them come and go as they please and roam around. But if they break into the base or cause any sort of problem in the town, they can be taken in. The girl that was captured was only fifteen! She came in here yesterday for some food, saying that she hadn't eaten in a while, and was all smiles and happiness.

"The captain that runs the base has a daughter and a son, twins. They came in here to cause trouble while the girl, Rai, was in here. They demanded food, and when Evra asked them to pay, they refused. I had been in the kitchen at the time, and I poked my head out when there was a scream. The brother of the two had held a dagger to Evra's throat, and Rai had a naginata pressed against the brother's.

"She let herself get carted off to the marine base so that no one paid Evra any attention." He finished, looking down at his folded hands. My eyes were wide with shock, and then I started to have an internal debate. "I'll be right back, some customers came in." He said with a smile, walking away.

I bit my lip, thinking. What should I do?

I yawned loudly as the two idiot twins waltzed out of the gates and away from me. Another session of smack talk and beatings had gone smoothly, I had whined about being bored the entire time, effectively infuriating them.

"Psst! Onee-chan!" A small voice whispered, and I turned my head towards the wall next to me with a smile, nodding my head at the snake-boy.

"Hey there Evra!" I whispered, nodding my head to him after making sure no one was around. He quickly ran over to me, holding a box wrapped in a light green cloth. He opened it to reveal a bento, and my mouth watered.

"Here, eat up!" He said with a smile, feeding me the onigiri inside. Unfortunately he had replaced the salt with sugar, but I was grateful for it all the same. I made sure it looked like I loved it, and ate it all.

"That was delicious Evra!" I said with a smile, before motioning for him to go. "But I think I hear someone coming, hurry and go!" I said hurriedly, and he quickly climbed the wall and ran away.

"So, I heard what you did." A familiar voice said with a sigh, and I looked over to see Indigo on top of the stone wall.

"Ah, you did?" I asked, smiling.

"Yeah. I figured that since I owe you one anyway… I'll get you out of there." She said with a sigh, and I smiled. "I'll have to wait until night though, then I'll come and get you. I'll travel with you for a while longer, until I find an island I want to stay on."

I nodded once, smiling. "Alright. See you soon!" I said cheerfully, smiling. "I'm going to take a nap!" I said, and she nodded, disappearing once again.

I smiled, and let myself drift off into sleep, eagerly awaiting for the sun to set and moon to rise, and my destruction to begin.

Okay guys, this is a really short chapter, and a really short arc. This arc is only two chapters long, and they're short chapters, but it's kinda an introduction into the main storyline. I mean, I can't have it that Rai just shows up randomly! Oh, and Review please! I'll write the first person to review a one-shot for any of my stories at their request. And by this I mean that anyone BUT SkySword that reviews first.

Disclaimer – I own nothing but ocs

Attack on the High Seas! Arc

Chapter One – When two opposing forces collide! Pirates vs. Marines, a deadly free-for-all!

I smiled wide as I sat on the figurehead of my ship, just sitting there. I stared out at the sea for a long while, and when I blinked, I opened my eyes to see that I was not on the figurehead, and was in the middle of the deck, dripping wet.

I sat up with a confused look, and directed my gaze to the crow's nest. Dusk poked his head out, and waved.

"You had another bout of Narcolepsy, fell right into the ocean again." He said with a sigh, and I nodded, before his face turned to alarm. The sound of a cannon filled my ears, and I jumped to my feet just in time for a cannonball to destroy part of the railing. I laughed and pulled my staff out, my wings opening automatically.

"Yes! I've been waiting for a fight!" I shouted, throwing my arms into the air. After nearly five weeks of traveling with Indigo, we had come to an island that she liked, and decided to stay there. That was nearly two years ago, and now it was just Dusk and I. Dawn had gone with Indigo, something about her being his new mistress or something. I don't really remember, I just kinda let them go on.

I wanted them to stay but….. it wasn't my choice.

Anyway, it gets really boring without a lot of people, and the only thing I really look forward to is fighting with marines and exploring the select few islands that we manage to be able to avoid marines long enough to stay on the island to explore.

I smirked, and Dusk did as well. My wings snapped out, and I took off quickly, soaring into the air with a whoop of excitement. Soon enough I was high enough in the air to preform my favorite move. I started my descent head first, and tucked my wings in, only leaving one slightly open so that I would start spinning. I was soon spinning like a top, and just before I connected with the deck of the marine vessel, I let electricity surge from me.

"LIGHTNING DRILL!" I shouted, letting my electricity surge from me in the form of a drill/top. It went straight through the deck and halfway through the ship, and I quickly snapped my wings open, surging upwards. I formed a hammer with my electricity, and threw it directly at the spot I had just drilled through.

The attack was just too much for the medium-sized ship, and the wood creaked, before falling apart. I smirked and went on to the next ship, but gasped when a bullet hit me from behind, embedding itself in the back of my thigh. With a grimace, I quickly darted down to the next deck, and pulled a thin spool of copper wire from my capris pocket. I threw the more bundled up end towards the marines, and as soon as it made contact, I forced my electricity to surge down the wire, zapping a few of the marines.

I screamed in pain as a marine sliced my stomach, having snuck in from the side. I snapped my staff out, electricity surging down it, and the metal moved, changing into the form of a naginata, electricity still surging along it. I sliced and hacked my way through the marines, switching my weapon between staff and naginata (and a shield, though that was only once). By the time I was finished with them, I was coated in blood, not all of it my own.

Then, of course, the leader of the ship came out. A towering man at nearly eight feet tall, curly brown hair that was held in a bandana, large muscles and narrow, beady little eyes. He was so ugly.

With a frown, I raised my staff in a defensive position, just in time for the blade of the axe to slam down onto my staff. I gritted my teeth and let electricity surge through my blade and into his. He just smirked when he saw this, and I realized that he had rubber coating the handle of his axe. I roared in pain as he threw me backwards, my back slamming into the railing of the ship. I was panting heavily, exhausted from fighting.

I dashed forward, jumping into the air and slamming the end of my staff into the side of his head, a small shock of electricity sent through it. He growled and slammed his hand into me, before I was sent flying once more. I rushed forward again, using as much speed as I could muster to battle this man. I managed to get several good hits in, but in the end I was outmatched. It was only due to a lucky strike that he went down, and I was able to flee to my own ship, flinging curses the entire way.

The ship was nearly as bad off as I, damaged from long-ranged hits, despite Dusk's efforts to save it. Though I was sure he had deemed that making sure that I had a place to land in case of severe injury was more important than making sure the ship took no damage.

I tucked my wings in, and walked (swaying unsteadily the entire time mind you) over to the mast, which miraculously survived. "Dusk! Let's get outta here!" I shouted, and with a quick nod, the (only slightly) injured familiar was off, darting back and forth, trying to get us out of harm's way. I, in the meantime, focused on keeping projectile weapons (Mostly bullets, a couple spears, and in one case an iron. How the hell they managed to throw an ironthat far was beyond me though) away from the ship.

I only managed to keep roughly twenty percent of the projectiles away, but I was also mostly focusing on keeping them from hitting Dusk, who was the only one that was able to actually sail. No, I never learned how to sail, deal with it.

Once we were far enough out, we just let the wind take us.

I had long since slumped down onto the deck, pressing one hand to the most distressing injury, a large slice on my abdomen that was bleeding profusely. Granted, I could bleed much more than a normal person, but still.

Dusk had walked over, thrusting a cloth into my hand, and I quickly bit down on it. He placed a Kairoseki cuff (the last time I was captured by marines he took only one of the cuffs so that I wouldn't zap him while receiving treatment) around my wrist, and handed me the medical equipment.

Dusk was more suited to fighting and sailing and stuff than medicine. He actually didn't even know how to treat a burn wound it was so bad. Thankfully I knew some basic treatments, like stitching up wounds, treating burns, and so on. I stitched all the wounds that required it (except for the one on my back that Dusk had to stitch up for me) and Dusk helped me bandage myself up.

"How much damage to the ship?" I asked Dusk, and he sighed.

"A lot. We'll stay afloat for a while, but the sooner we find an island the better." He answered, and I nodded.

"Our stock?"

"Not enough food to last three weeks. Got enough water to last for a month though."

"Hmm…..Location?"

"No idea." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We made a pretty hasty escape, and I don't know which direction we went. The compass went overboard and without knowing where we are, I don't know where to go."

"So…..basically we're gonna wander for a while?" I asked, and he nodded.

I sighed, placing my hand over my face, before going to the galley and laying in the middle of the floor, taking a nap.

ey guys! Okay, this is the last chapter of this arc. This takes place post-Usopp, but before the Jolly-roger scene. Please Review! Oh and thanks for the follow rose46652!

Disclaimer – I own nothing but my ocs

Attack on the High Seas! Arc

Chapter Two – Expositions and Starvation.

I whimpered as the light pierced my eyelids, and slowly but surely moved my arm over my face in an attempt to block it out. It had been nearly three weeks since the Marines had attacked Dawn and I, and we had managed to evade them ever since. Unfortunately we were so good at evading, that we managed not to find any islands, and had slowly been running out of food.

Unfortunately we ran out of food two weeks ago, when most of it fell over board and Dusk couldn't save it in time. So I've just been surviving on water the past couple of weeks. I painstakingly opened my eyes to look at Dusk. He required no sustenance, so he had given all of the food to me, and made sure that I slept as much as possible to conserve energy, and so I wouldn't think about the hunger, or be in much pain, due to my injuries.

The hunger that had been temporarily suspended was now coming back at full force. I was past the time that my stomach would constantly groan and growl, and was now onto the phase where my stomach was just empty. It was as if there was a black hole where my stomach was supposed to be. Due to the fact that my body (as I was a half fallen angel and had special conditions) required much more calories than that of a normal human.

I actually have to take protein supplements on a daily basis to keep myself at the rate I normally am. Of course, I was out at the moment, as well as the food supply. Unfortunately for me, I had woken up at just the wrong time. Dusk had taken to searching for ships and islands while I slept, and he just so happened to be gone.

So… this left me extremely bored, with no way of occupying myself. I tried singing, but that just left me out of breath and with a sore throat. I tried humming, but it just ended up like the singing in the end. I tried thinking of story ideas, but all I could think of was food. I mean, even the song I was going to sing was about food! Well, mainly one of the dishes I knew how to cook's preparation and stuff in the form of a song, but still…

I would have gone and gotten my writing equipment, or my painting equipment (though I was still an amateur painter) and done something! But of course, I was too weak to get up at the moment, especially with the waves rocking the already fragile boat, as if they wanted to capsize the small vessel.

I seemed only to blink once or twice, the noon sunlight shining on my face, then when I opened them again, the pinks and deep reds of the sunset greeted me. Then there were voices. Distant voices, but still voices! Had Dusk found them while flying around? Had he even come back yet? Had these people just found me by chance while Dusk was gone?

The questions darted through my head, my brain was on overdrive, trying to figure out whether these voices were friend or foe. Then I heard 'Bounty' and 'Capture', and my eyes snapped open. I groaned in pain, but shoved myself to my feet, the amount of sleep I had gotten hadn't exactly left me refreshed and ready to play tag or run around, but it still helped in the long run. I snapped my staff in front of me defensively, and blindly charged the voices, who had gotten closer. I had to keep my eyes shut tight due to pain, but I still located my opponents by the sound of their breathing, and the sounds their feet made when hitting the deck.

I groaned in pain as a solid hit connected with my side, some sort of blade I guessed, and I twirled around jerkily. I coughed once, and whether it was blood or spit that coated my chin (I had no clue) I ignored it in favor of splitting my staff into tonfas. This was one of the three forms that I could force my staff into with my electricity.

Unfortunately this meant that the small pause it took for me to switch the metal, my opponent (or opponents, if the different weapons and fists were anything to go by) to attack me. I went down like a sack of bricks, and my head hit the ground with a sickening crack. I felt old wounds reopen, and new ones gush blood. My eyes were already closed, so it was that much easier to slip into unconsciousness.

Hopefully Dusk would come and help me soon.

Hey guys, next chapter! Oh, and I never post on weekends, but what I'm going to do is post two (maybe three, depending on productivity level) chapters on Monday. Kay? Also: Kinda short chapter, sorry bout that.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my ocs

Unlikely Saviors Arc

Chapter One – Saved at last! But there's one problem. Where the hell is Dusk?!

I groaned in pain, my eyes slowly opening after several seconds of trying to accomplish the normally easy task. There was a shout, and I whimpered slightly. Nothing made sense. I could see properly (out of my right eye at least, but that was nothing new) but everything was hazy. It was like I was looking in a fog that wouldn't lift.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to see, and I felt someone help me up. The hands were strong and calloused, and I figured that it was Dusk, as he was the only other one on the ship with me.

"Dusk…..how much…longer…?" I asked slowly, wincing as a wound was jarred roughly.

"How much longer until what?" He asked, but I couldn't figure out why he sounded slightly different. His voice was usually deeper than this, but then again it could just be my ears messing with me. I mean, I am starving.

"Until…..I….Die…." I wheezed, my eyes shut tight. "It…..hurts…..but…..don't…..wanna die…." I wheezed, and I felt something pressed to my lips. I greedily drank it, but the bowl was pulled away from my lips repeatedly when I drank too fast. This was, of course, met with a mix between a whimper and a growl each time, as I wanted more and more.

Then I was laid back down, and a blanket was pulled over me. I once again fell into unconsciousness.

I sighed and pulled the blanket over Rai, her normally (or at least what I remembered her to be like) small form was thinner than usual. I remember her telling me that she needed more nutrients than most people did, due to her wings, which take up far more nutrients than half of her body did.

It had been a surprise when Usopp (who had been on temporary watch while I showered off the muck and grime of the Syrup Village fight) had spotted the small vessel that I had spent weeks on two years ago; the Thunder's Call. When we boarded the ship, it was in severe disrepair, and it was a miracle that it was still floating, let alone sailing.

Then we had spotted Rai, laying in the middle of the deck alone. Dawn had gone over and confirmed a pulse, before coming back to us. I told him to go into the girl's cabin and retrieve things that she valued above all else, some clothes, and anything else he could think of. During the time he was gone, the others and I discussed what to do.

I had pointed out that we couldn't just leave her there, and even Nami agreed with me. Zoro had helpfully pointed out that she could be after them, wanting to take the bounties for herself and wanting to capture them.

I had helpfully pointed out that even if she did (which she didn't, as she hates marines) she was in no condition to do anything of the sort, and that by the time she was full-strength, she would be off the ship. Of course, this was a slight lie, she would be full-strength within the next three days if they fed her a lot, and took care of her injuries. Well, maybe not quite full-strength, but I had no doubt in my mind that she had picked up more tricks since she had left me on Cocoyashi Island.

The others seemed to agree with this, but before we knew it Zoro had his swords unsheathed in a flash of glinting metal. The sound of metal connecting with metal soon rang in my ears, and we all jumped back in surprise. Well, everyone but Zoro (who was currently battling the starved and injured girl) and Luffy (who was just an idiot in my opinion).

I quickly darted forward, trying to make Zoro stop so he didn't hurt her further, and just let me handle it, but it seemed that everyone else (but Dawn of course, who had returned at that moment) seemed to think that I was attacking her.

By the time I got them to stop it was too late, and Rai was on the deck, unconscious.

After that I had forced everyone to get her back to the Going Merry so that I could treat her. Well, so that Nami and I could treat her.

It was roughly three hours before she finally woke again, but I could see the haziness in her eyes, telling me that she wasn't seeing properly. Okay, well, eye. Dawn refused to let me see her left eye. He said that it was a matter of personal pride of hers, and that she would be very angry.

After I told him that I was his master, and he ordered to me, he flat out refused.

"I apologize Indigo-Sama, but I cannot let you see her eye, even if you order me to. I may be your familiar now, but I still answer to Lady Cassandra in the end, and so by default I am forced to obey her command. She had commanded me to make sure her daughter is not injured in any way, and that includes personal pride, as well as any mental pain. Granted, she let me go with you, but I was still to make sure that Dusk stayed with her in the end." He had told me, and I had fumed and yelled at him, my curiosity getting the better of me for once.

As soon as she had woken up, I had shouted that she was awake, and everyone (even Zoro) came in. (Though Zoro was being dragged in by Luffy against his will.) I had told Zoro to help her into a sitting position, and she had mistaken him for Dusk. She had shut her eyes and talked about dying, and I had simply pushed a bowl of soup to her lips.

After several times of having to take it away from her, each time causing a whimper or a growl to emanate from the girl (though it was more like a mix of the two). Then I had Zoro put her down, and I pulled a blanket up over her. The soup had been loaded with lots of nutrients and proteins (though I had shredded the meat so that she didn't have to chew it) and it didn't taste good, but if she was starving it didn't matter.

I sighed and walked to the girl's room for a well-deserved nap.

I jerked awake, gasping and panting as I looked around. I was obviously on some sort of ship but….. What ship? And where the hell was Dusk?! I slowly got up, using the walls as support. I had obviously been fed, but how? Had I had some sort of conscious moment that I couldn't remember?

Oh well. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. First up is getting food.

I slowly walked into the hall, using the walls as support. I just walked, cracking doors open and gently shutting them as I went. I found a spare storage room, the infirmary (again…) and then I finally found the galley. I quickly went through and looked through everything, looking specifically for any sort of food that was high in protein and nutrients. There was a pot of soup on the stove, and I smiled, gasping, grabbing for it.

In a flash I had the pot of soup to my lips (ignoring the burning sensation of the hot metal and the soup itself) and quickly downed the whole thing. I grabbed a loaf of bread and devoured that too, and in the end I was still hungry, but I knew that if I ate too much I was going to be sick. I sat on the ground with a heavy thump, my wounds didn't even hurt now!

I could feel my body slowly (but surely) regaining energy, and my wounds started to hurt less. Momma said that it was because I had a high metabolism (the eating part) and that I will heal much faster than normal people will. I yawned loudly once more, and I blinked.

Or, I thought I blinked, because the next thing I knew I was back in the infirmary. I yawned, sitting up. I felt much better after getting food in me, and I stood up with a smile. I looked over my injuries, and noticed that they were much better now, as they didn't ache, and on a normal person it would be roughly two weeks through the healing process.

Well, they ached now that I was standing, but they didn't ache nearly as bad as the last time I was awake. I slowly walked out of the infirmary (at least that's what I assumed this room was, due to all of the bandages and stuff in it) and into the hallway.

Then I smelled the food.

I darted into the galley (I sort of spaced out for a moment and I have no idea how I got there) and over to the food that was on the table, where a plate was handed to me by someone, and I devoured it. Well, I devoured plate after plate, until I was forcibly stopped.

"Rai, that's enough." A familiar voice said, and I looked up to see Indigo.

Wait. Indigo?

"Indigo?!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. I smiled and squealed, glomping the poor girl. "Indigo it's you!"

"Kyaahh!" She shouted, and we hit the ground like a sack of bricks. "Dammit Rai!" She growled, and I laughed.

"I missed you!" I said, hugging her. She simply sighed, and placed her hand over her face.

"Damn it Rai. Every time I see you, you just have to tackle me, don't you?" She asked, and I shook my head, smiling.

"Nope! I don't tackle you, I glomp you! There's a huge difference." I said while nodding in a sage-like manner, and she sweat dropped.

"Yeah, of course there is. Now get off of me." She said, and I laughed in a strained way. "You're too weak get up, can you?"

I felt like an arrow had gone through my head, and the arrow said 'Weak'. She sighed pushed me off of her, before pulling me up and into a chair.

We were the only two in here, surprisingly enough.

"So is this your ship?" I asked, confused.

"No, it's….." She trailed off for a moment, before sighing. "It's another pirate's."

I nodded once to him before pouting at Indigo. "Can I have some more food?" I asked, giving her the puppy dog eyes.

"No." She said bluntly, and I whined, hanging off of her shoulders.

"Why not?" I asked as she tried to shake me.

"Because you already ate more than you should have dammit! There's only enough left for everyone else, and Luffy's getting less than he normally would!" She shouted, and I whined. "You're waiting till dinner!"

With that she kicked me out of the galley. I don't mean she pushed me out, no, she freaking drop kicked me. I was sent flying into the railing, and my back hit with a crack. I face-planted into the ground with muffled curse that sounded something like 'You ducking glass mole!'

I sat up, rubbing my forehead with a glare at the galley. "Meanie!" I shouted as she stuck her head out of the doorway, and I saw her roll her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." She said. "Oi! Get in here! Food!" She shouted, and a boy with slightly tanned skin in a red vest and cut-off jean shorts darted into the galley.

I started to move to enter, but Indigo kicked me in the face with her metal foot.

"Not you Rai!" She shouted, and I whined.

"But Indigo!" I whined again, and she glared at me, shooting daggers enveloped in flame at me.

"No means no!" With that she slammed the door to the galley, as three others had entered before that. I heard a scraping sound that let me know that she had moved something in front of the door.

"I will get in there! One way or another!" I shouted at her, and the only reply that she graced me with was a snort.

I pouted and looked around. Then I saw that there was a window. I smiled and threw my fist through it, breaking the glass. I broke the rest of the glass and made sure it wasn't in the window. I then climbed in the window.

Or I attempted to climb in the window.

I got stuck halfway through, and my hips were caught. I frowned and struggled, trying to get through.

Then I heard the laughter.

My head snapped towards it, and my cheeks were on fire. I growled and wind-milled my arms angrily.

"Don't just stand there you jerk!" I shouted at Indigo, who was laughing hysterically on the floor.

"I-I'm not- s-stan-standing!" She managed to choke out between her laughter. "I-I'm l-lying on th-the g-ground! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I frowned and kept struggling. "Get me out of here damnit!" I shouted angrily, pounding on the wood.

My eyes snapped to the swordsman with the green hair, and I knew he was trying not to laugh.

"Oi, swordsman!" I shouted, and he looked at me in an uninterested way, but I could see the twinkle of mirth hidden there. "Please get me out of here…" I whined, using my puppy-dog eyes.

He looked like he was going to protest, but the girl with orange hair stopped him from doing so.

"Just go push her out Zoro." She sighed, and the swordsman glared at her, before getting up and coming over to me.

"Just hand me something metal." I said in a flat tone, rolling my eyes when he failed to get me out without bursting a couple organs. He grunted and Indigo, (who had finally stopped laughing) came over, holding my weapon. I took it with a nod, the silver tonfas smooth and cool in my hands. I took a deep breath and molded them together into a staff form again.

Afterwards, I quickly transferred into my electricity form and into the metal staff. Once the staff hit the ground (with me still in it) I transferred out and got to my feet quickly. I pouted at Indigo, and crossed my arms.

"Told you I'd get in somehow."

Oh my god guys, I am SOOO sorry! I was completely swamped with work and shit for school. *bows down apologetically* Please forgive me! Anyway, I have a poll up on my profile, please vote! I want to know what I should do as an apology for not updating, so you can vote between

A - I make a set of fluff-chapters between Rai and Luffy (or other pairings)

B - I make an ENTIRE crack chapter

or

C - You choose! That's right, you guys choose what I do to make up for it! I'll leave the poll up for a month or so, and take a tally at the end! You can leave your vote in the review box as well, even if you're a guest! You know you want to!

Disclaimer - I own nothing but my ocs.

Unlikely Saviors Arc

Chapter Two – Riddles and Memories

"So basically in the small span of two years that I was not with you, not only did you manage to raise your bounty by twenty thousand by completely and utterly DESTROYING an entire fleet of marine ships." Indigo paused to take a shaking breath to calm herself as I devoured my desert. "You managed to get yourself banned from three islands, destroyed six marine bases, AND fought one of the most notorious pirates in the North Blue, and actually succeeded in beating them?"

I paused in my eating (and stealing from others plates) to think for a moment.

"No, you're wrong." I said with a frown. Indigo actually looked relieved, like she wouldn't have to be careful when mentioning me. Then I opened my mouth to speak again. "I learned one of the base languages of the North Blue too!" I said with a smile, and she fell onto her face.

Then she jumped up and hit me on the top of the head. I pouted and held my head and looked at her with big eyes.

"You idiot!" She shouted, and I sniffed. "I actually worried about you while we were separated you dolt! I can't believe you!" She shouted and I pouted.

"Meanie…." I said lamely, before going back to my desert. I have an extreme sweet tooth! Don't you judge me!

Luffy (as I now knew him) laughed loudly, and I smiled before laughing as well. It seemed that this rubber boy's laugh was contagious.

"So… Rai, you transformed into lightning?" Nami asked, and I smiled, nodding once.

"Yep!" I said with a smile. "I'm an electric girl! I ate the Bari Bari no mi!" I said with a smile, nodding once.

"So that's the name of your devil fruit?" Indigo asked in the form of a rhetorical question. "I wondered what devil fruit you ate. You never did get around to telling me."

I smiled and nodded once.

"Yes, the Bari Bari no mi is a Logia type devil fruit, category insubstantial, sub-category energy type." I said intelligently, nodding once. I have a thick tome in my bag (a gift from momma, as she had combined my books with a simple spell) that has much knowledge on Devil Fruit. "….Or that's what momma told me at least!" I said with a smile, laughing innocently.

I saw Nami and Indigo sweatdrop (and in Indigo's case, face-fault) and I smiled wide, my legs swinging back and forth as I took another bite of my strawberry cake.

"I found out I had it around four years or so ago by accident!" I said with a smile, and Indigo looked angry.

"How do you find something like that out by accident?!" Nami and Usopp shouted at the same time.

"Well, it wasn't on purpose, I mean how do you know something like that?"

"How could you NOT know something like that?!"

"I mean, normally when you eat your devil fruit, you're conscious for it, or at least remember it."

"How could you not remember bursting into electricity, huh?! Or are you just a psychopath?!"

"I found out when the island was being patrolled by marines. I accidently got cornered by them one day."

"I've got her! Quickly, she's no doubt got a high bounty if she's with the witch!"

"They went to shoot me and I turned into electricity." I said simply, nodding once.

"AAAAHHHHH!"

"Ensign, what happened?!"

"Th-The girl she- She turned into electricity! Hel- GYAHHHH!"

"Ah, so you're a mystery angel!" Luffy said with a smile, and I laughed.

"Nope! I'm a no angel!" I said with a smile, and Usopp looked at me warily.

"Then why do you have those wings?"

"What are you anyway, a mutant?! Those wings are so ugly! They're not white like an angel's! They're black like soot! You must be a fallen angel then!"

I smiled brightly, but even to myself it seemed forced.

"Ah, that's because my mom's a fallen angel." I said while nodding once.

"A fallen angel?" Indigo asked curiously, as this was most likely the first time she's heard of this.

"Yeah! She's a witch too though."

"Witch! She's a witch! Get her away from me before she has me spell-bound! AAAHH!"

"A w-witch?!" Indigo stuttered, and I nodded once, smiling.

"Yep! It's not really magic she uses though, it's her angel-powers. People just THINK that it's magic."

"Help me! She's going to kill me with her witch powers!"

"Get out of here! Now!"

"Kyaaahhh! Stay back!"

I smiled and shook off the memories, pushing them as far down as they could go. Those two years on the island from hell are over, and I'll only be back for visits.

"That's so cool! Can you do magic too?!" Luffy asked, his eyes sparkling. I shook my head as I laughed.

"Nope! I'm only a HALF-fallen-angel, so I only get the wings!" I said with a smile.

"Join my crew!" Luffy shouted unexpectedly. I blinked once, and then laughed.

"Sorry, but…. No thanks." I said kindly.

"Why not?" He pouted and I smiled.

"I have my reasons but….. If you can answer this riddle- without any sort of help – then I MIGHT think of joining your crew." I said with a smile. I doubted that he'd get it, so I didn't need to worry about disbanding my own crew (even though it only consists of myself and Dusk at the moment, wherever he is), the Lightning Storm Pirates.

He looked at me intently, and I smiled mysteriously. "Why is the night sad?" I asked slowly before getting up and walking out the door.

I walked out onto the deck with a grin plastered onto my face, and started doing hand –stand push-ups. I flapped my wings slowly as I did this, making sure to work the muscles so that I could start flying again.

I sighed when my arms collapsed underneath me after the third push-up. It was going to be a long night.

~X-X-X~

"You're sure that she's dead?"

"Of course I'm sure!" The tall man shouted at the smaller man.

"Captain Psyten." A single word from the smaller man, at only the mere height of six feet, compared to the eight-foot tall Captain Psyten, was able to shut the taller man up. "Did you kill her personally?" The words were said without emotion, only a slight hint of curiosity was evident.

"N-no sir, but I beat her badly, there was no way she could have survived. We were nowhere near any islands, and my men shot the hull. Food spilled out, so even if she managed to survive her wounds, she would die of starvation eventually." The taller man, Captain Psyten, said slowly, looking at the ground.

"Then she could very well still be alive." The smaller man said slowly, as if to make sure that Captain Psyten was able to understand him.

"Vice-Admiral Tyven, I mean no disrespect, but….. How could she be alive?" Captain Psyten asked, trying to hide the anger in his voice. "I have reports that in order to survive she requires much more nutrients than a normal person. She needs nearly ten times the amount of food than an average human being, so the meager supplies she was left with would not have allowed her to survive. She would have died within the week."

"Captain Psyten, have you ever heard of the Baratie?" The smaller man, Vice-Admiral Tyven, asked, leaning back in his chair, his fingers interlacing.

"The…Baratie?" The marine captain asked, obviously confused.

"Yes, the Baratie. It is a restaurant at sea, so to speak. This restaurant provides sailors – Pirates and Marines alike- with food in the middle of the sea. If she managed to get there, by any means necessary, flying or simply sailing, she will have lived." The admiral frowned, his eyes hidden beneath the brim of his cap. "The owner of the restaurant, a former pirate by the name of Zeff, does not let anyone starve. He would gladly feed anyone who came into his restaurant starving, regardless if they had money or not. If she happened to make it there….."

"Then she would live. And if she finds a friend to take her to any island nearby, she could get another ship." The captain finished, eyes wide and full of realization.

"Exactly. Now, Captain Psyten, get to the Baratie, and look for the girl, now."

"Hai, Vice-Admiral Tyven. I will go right away."

Okay, so this is just introductory crap, the next chapter is just filler, but kinda entertaining. After the filler chapter, we're off to the Baratie!

Disclaimer - I own nothing but my Ocs

Delicious Food and a Fishy Ship Arc

Chapter One – Rescue?

I frowned internally at the atrocity that was in front of me in the form of a flag.

"I think that every artistic ability within my body just died a little on the inside." I said slowly, and Usopp patted me on the back in a comforting manner.

"Hahaha! I put a lot of thought into making our symbol!" Luffy shouted with a gigantic grin on his face.

"O-our symbol…"

"Calling him artistically challenged would be an understatement." Usopp said from next to me and I nodded slowly, staring at the symbol.

"No…. this could be some sort of abstract art…." Nami said, trying to give the boy the benefit of the doubt.

"A pirate's flag should be a symbol of death, but this flag is….. well, I guess it's quite terrifying in a sense." That was Zoro.

I was forcing a smile, and I laughed hollowly, sweat dropping.

"Whaddya think?" Luffy asked, obviously proud of himself.

"You're beyond terrible! Leave the drawing to me!" Usopp scolded, and set about painting another flag.

Only to have it end up in his own symbol.

Of course, while he was doing that, I was sewing myself a blanket. I was surprised when Dawn handed me several bolts of fabric, allowing me to make myself a new pair of clothes, so that I didn't have to borrow Nami's or Indigo's (as both girls prefer to wear revealing clothing). I had sewn myself a fluorescent yellow tank top with a grey storm-cloud and electric blue lightning bolt on the front, which was my symbol. I had made myself a pair of electric blue pants with my symbol on it, though the lightning bolt was now fluorescent yellow in color.

The blanket I was sewing was azure for the bottom half, the top half a steel blue color, deep grey storm clouds covering the very top. I would need some brown cloth for the boat that would inevitably be on there, because this blanket was a sort of tribute to my old ships. One ship would have a girl with angel wings and a lightning bolt in hand for the figure head (symbolizing my fallen ship, The Thunder's Call) and one would have a dragon's head (for The Dragon's Soul, my original ship).

I frowned when Usopp was scolded (and hit) for changing the symbol to his own. I set my sewing equipment down and walked over to a new flag, picking up the paint.

"Let me take care of this." I said with a smile, cracking my knuckles and smiling. I picked up a paintbrush and quickly set to work (with Usopp's help of course) in painting the flag.

"Wow, that's perfect!" Nami beamed, smiling wide at the flag on the ground.

"There we go!" Usopp and I beamed proudly, clapping each other on the back. It hadn't taken too long, but we had argued over what shades to use. (I insisted we use a Fawn color for the hat and a scarlet for the ribbon, and he argued that the hat should be more of a sandy brown. I had, of course, won in the end.)

"It doesn't look even remotely like the other one." Zoro said while nodding slightly.

"That's great! Draw one on our sail too later!" Luffy said brightly, and I nodded, smiling, as did Usopp.

"Yeah, well, I've honed my artistic talents by drawing on the walls of people's homes for years." Usopp bragged, smiling with his eyes closed. "I'm quite the artist you know."

"I've been painting since I was five, even if it was with my blood." I said cheerfully, and Usopp backed away slowly.

"W-With your blood?!" He asked while backing away.

"Yeah! It was the best way to pass the time while I waited for doctors to show up after I was injured!" I said with a smile.

"How often was that?" Indigo asked, and I knitted my eyebrows together while thinking.

"Nearly three times a week." I said, and Indigo sweat dropped.

Afterwards, I let Usopp, Nami and Zoro handle painting the sail, while I sewed my blanket. I was working on the clouds, and Indigo sat next to me, helping me get them just right. Then Luffy started messing with the cannon, and Indigo went to help him, along with Usopp.

I just sat across from Zoro, and frowned in thought, before smiling and pulling out black thread, using it to make the darker parts of the already dark grey clouds that covered the uppermost part of the blanket. Well, right below the electric blue fabric that lined the entire blanket, roughly two inches wide.

"Hey, Rai c'mon, we're all heading in the kitchen." Indigo said while standing over me, and I nodded once with a smile.

"Okay. I probably need a break from working on this blanket anyway. I can't seem to get this stitch right." I admitted, scratching the back of my neck.

"And your hands are shaking uncontrollably." Indigo said, and I looked down at my hands surprised. Sure enough, my hands were shaking horribly.

I frowned, before placing my ever-present smile back on my face. "Well, I probably just need a break then. Let's go." I said with a smile, letting Indigo help me up.

We walked into the kitchen, and I smiled, sitting down and placing my hands onto the table in front of Indigo, who was sitting next to me. She gently massaged my hands, helping release the over-worked muscles.

Then some guy came along and started wrecking the ship, and Luffy went out to deal with him, while Indigo and I talked.

"So some guy with flame-red hair that spoke the base language of the North Blue started flirting with you?" She asked incredulously, and I nodded.

"Yeah! He was really creepy! Then my father showed up and took him away." I said with a frown. "Granted, I didn't know it was my father until about a year ago when he told me, but still. You didn't get a chance to meet him, but you will eventually." I said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" She asked, and I smiled. I definitely would have rubbed the back of my head if Indigo didn't have a firm grip on my hands. She could keep her metal hand in one position for hours without any sort of exertion.

"Well, they usually show up once or twice a month. It was only by chance that they didn't while I was starving, or with you, and it's about time for them to show up again." I said while nodding.

Dawn jumped up with a shout of surprise. Indigo and I looked at him in confusion, and he smiled, hugging the two of us.

"Sorry, Indigo-Sama, Rai-Chan." He apologized, and I smiled, waving him off. "But Dusk finally answered me! I finally got to him via telepathy."

"Ah! What does he say?! How is he? Has he been taking care of himself?!" I asked excitedly, worried about my familiar to no end.

Dusk smiled and sat me down.

"He says 'I am so sorry, Rai, for not answering your summons, or contacting you in any way until now. I am on my way with your father and the flame-idiot to your location. We may be held up, and if that is the case, we will meet up with you as soon as possible. I apologize again, and I will pick up anything you need on the way.' That's what he said just now, do you have anything to say?"

I thought for a minute, as Zoro, Usopp and Nami left. I nodded once with a smile, before speaking.

"Tell him; 'It's alright for not answering, I understand that you had business. Meet me in Loguetown. I think I'll be able to get everything I need there, as I only need cloth and some necessary items. I am safe and well now, please take care of yourself until I can meet up with you again. Tell the flame-head that if he flirts with me, I'll punch him in the face." I answered, and Dawn nodded, silent for a moment.

"He says 'Of course, Rai. I'll meet with you in Loguetown, even though I would like to be there to protect you sooner, it will give me time to get there. I can get you an assortment of cloth and paints, as well as some more canvas. I'll relay the information to the idiot, and I'll see you soon. Please tell the lady Amphirite that I apologize for leaving you in her care, and that I hope to see her in person when I see you.'"

"Tell him; 'Okay Dusk, I'll see you soon."

"He says that he'll see you soon too." Dawn answered, and I walked out of the galley with a bright smile, knowing that my friend was well.

I blinked once at the two men in front of me, and blinked once again.

"Johnny, Yosaku?" I asked slowly, my brown furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing here?" I asked, and Johnny relayed the information of what had happened to me as Yosaku was on the ground asleep or something.

"So he got scurvy? Didn't you bring any fruit with you?" I asked, and Johnny hung his head, sweat dropping.

"Even you knew about it…" He said and I pouted.

"That's not very nice Johnny." I said, my hands on my hips.

"Wait, you knew Johnny and Yosaku before this?!" Indigo asked incredulously, and I nodded.

"Yep! I got knocked overboard during a fight with some marines, and managed to hang onto a piece of driftwood. Johnny and Yosaku saved me!" I said cheerfully, nodding.

"And they knew you were a pirate?" Indigo asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Not at first," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "In fact, they didn't know until Dusk found me and took me back to the ship!"

"….If I didn't know how you are, I would say that you're lying to me, and that something like that is too idiotic and not possible. But I won't, because if it's you, it is possible." Indigo said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"….That's not nice!" I whined, pouting while I attached myself to her leg.

"Get off of me!"

"Nope, I'm good!"

"GODDAMIT RAI!"

Okay, so, Filler chapter, but it's kinda funny. After this, we arrive at the Baratie! I have a fun idea for Rai when they get there~ Heehee~

Disclaimer - I own nothing but my ocs

Delicious Food and a Fishy Ship Arc

Chapter Two – Days at sea.

With a frown, the black-haired girl looked around the deck, her eyes scanning every last inch of the some-what small ship, looking for a head of white hair. Then there was a crash from behind her. She spun around quickly, and darted towards where the white-haired girl was running from her.

"Oh no you don't!" She shouted, just as she rammed into the smaller girl, knocking her to the floor. "We are going to get you new clothes dammit, and you're gonna like it!" She shouted, and the smaller girl screamed and tried to run away.

Yeah, it was going to be a long day.

~X-X-X~

Rai yowled like a cat, hissing and spitting as she tried to escape, but to no avail. I had simply wound rubber (read as: Luffy's arm stretched out until Nami found anything else that was rubber) around her ankles, and tied her arms behind her back. I quickly took down her measurements in order to make her new clothing. She, of course, did not want this.

She was perfectly fine with her tank top and pants, with NO SHOES. None whatsoever! I doubted she would want heels or boots, but she needed some sort of protection for her feet! The colors that she had picked (and were her favorites, other than red) for her outfit were horrendous, and didn't exactly clash, but were still not preferable for her. She was more suited to a light, sky blue for color, or perhaps an ocean blue. Maybe even cobalt, cerulean would go well with her eyes, and a little gold couldn't hurt.

But no, the girl had to choose bright, flashy colors for her personal attire, as if to scream 'Right over here potential murderers! I'm ready for a fight!' or something along those lines anyway.

Once she had finally finished taking down the smaller girl's measurements, she stared at them incredulously. Her chest size was at LEAST two sizes larger than it looked. Of course, she always bound her chest instead of wearing a bra, for whatever reason. She was blushing furiously as I stared at her chest, and then down at the paper with a look of surprise.

Nami took that exact moment to walk in, and I showed her the paper with a confused look on my face. We looked back and forth at each other, and at the girls chest (and the paper) thoroughly confused.

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT I INHERITED MY MOTHER'S CHEST SIZE DAMMIT!"

~X-X-X~

I quickly wrapped my chest in bandages, and slipped my clothing on as fast as possible. After the little venture with Indigo taking down my sizes (read as: me flipping the f*ck out at the two girls staring at me incredulously) I had ran as fast as possible from the room to get dressed. Now I was fully dressed in my normal outfit, and decided to go out on deck for a while.

I sat leaning against the mast for about two minutes before standing up again.

"Hey Zoro, wanna spar?" I asked the green-haired man, who cracked one eye open to stare at me. I smiled at him, waiting for a response. Johnny and Yosaku stared at us with looks of pure terror from their spots across the deck, as they were playing some sort of card game with Indigo and Nami.

"Please Zoro? I haven't had a decent sparring partner in forever!" I pouted, and he grunted, standing up. I smiled, and bounced excitedly, forcing my staff to take the form of a naginata, and taking stance. This was going to be a good spar.

~X-X-X~

"I've got one thousand on Rai." I said, slamming my money down on the table. Usopp scoffed, and set down his money as well. Roughly two minutes into the sparring match between Rai and Zoro, Usopp had come over (with shaking knees I might add) and asked what was going on. Somehow this had evolved into some sort of gambling ring.

"Seriously, Zoro's going to win. I've got two thousand on him." Usopp said, and I rolled my eyes.

"I've got three thousand on Zoro." Nami said with a smirk, and I smirked back.

"Two hundred Beri on Zoro Aniki." Both Johnny and Yosaku said, forking over their cash.

I smirked as Rai did a spinning flip over Zoro, slashing at him as she went. She had said that since it was just a spar, she wouldn't change the form of her weapon, or use her powers or wings. Though I could practically hear the words that she would have said echoing through my mind. I won't use my powers so the match will be more even.

Granted, Zoro seemed to hear this as well, and took it as a sign of challenge, and egged him on even more. Rai had her ever-present grin on her face still, and she wasn't even breathing heavily. No, if she had gotten stronger during her time away from me (which I knew she had) she would be strong enough to beat Zoro in a simple sparring match. After all, she hadn't survived on an island on the Grand Line for nothing.

I smiled as she hit Zoro in the back of the head with the end of her silver naginata, and skidded to a stop while spinning.

Oh yeah, she was gonna win.

~X-X-X~

With a smile, I helped Zoro up from his spot on the ground. He had only used two Katana, but then again, this was a simple spar, so we hadn't gone all-out on each other. I doubt that I would have won if he had gone all-out for the fight.

He smirked at me, and I nodded at him once.

Then there was a shriek from my right.

"I TOLD YOU ASSHOLES! FORK OVER ALL THE MONEY!"

I turned with a confused expression to where Indigo, Nami, Johnny, Usopp, and Yosaku sat, everyone but the black-haired girl had their head in their hands.

Indigo was standing there, holding sacks of money in her hands, pressing it to her cheeks happily. She was jumping up and down in joy, while collecting money from the others. Luffy was standing on the side, looking confused too.

"Did you win at poker or something Indigo?" I asked, and she smiled back at me.

"Something like that!" She said, before skipping down into the girl's quarters. Fortunately, I had my own (temporary) room in what would normally be a storage room.

I sweat dropped, and sighed with a smile.

"Well, I'm going to go and take a bath, I'm all sweaty. Then I'm going to take a nap." I said after a minute, walking away and to the bathroom.

~X-X-X~

"No Luffy!" I shouted while pouting, crossing my arms.

"But why not?" The rubber-boy asked, clinging onto my waist.

"Because I don't want to join your crew! Besides, you didn't answer my riddle correctly!" I said while pouting.

"But it's hard!" He whined, and I pushed him off of me.

"It's supposed to be hard!" I said angrily, one cheek puffed out.

"But Raiiiiiiiii…!" He whined, latching himself onto my waist again.

"No!"

"C'mon Rai!"

"Goddammit Luffy, I said no!"

"Join my crew!"

"I SAID NO DAMMIT!"

Yeah, it's gonna be a long two days.

ow we've entered the Baratie arc! Woohoo! When I translate things they won't be spot-on, but that's because I use Google Translate. I apologize to anyone who does speak French, and finds that it was off, but I have no other way of doing this. Oh, and the first phrase isn't quite correct. I ended up accidentally erasing the words in english, but you get the gist of what it means.

Disclaimer - I own nothing but my ocs

Delicious Food and a Fishy Ship Arc

Chapter Three – Arrival

"We're here at the restaurant!" A voice (that belonged either to Johnny OR Yosaku, I wasn't really paying attention) shouted, and I lifted my head up from the deck, where I was repeatedly bashing it into the wooden floor. "Zoro-Aniki! Luffy-Aniki! Usopp-Aniki! Nami-Aniki! Indigo-Aneki! Rai-Aneki!"

"Why am I 'Brother'?"

"Hmm..?"

"Oh!"

"Ahh!"

"YES! MY BOREDOM IS NOW GONE!"

"Oh thank god! The thought of having Nami's cooking for another night had me in tears!"

…

"Yeah, Nami can't really cook." I agreed with Indigo, nodding in a sagely manner.

"Shut up you two!" Nami shouted at us, hitting us both over the heads.

I quickly ran towards Luffy, to look over the railing.

"What do you think, Everyone?!" Johnny asked/shouted.

"What a huge fish!"

"Wow!"

"That's so funky!"

I smiled wide and quickly took out my latest (blank) book and started to write everything down.

We've just arrived at the Baratie, a large fish-shaped ship that's a resturaunt at sea. I can't wait to see what it's like on the inside! Everyone seems so excited, especially because Nami's not a very good cook, and this will mean that the Mugiwara (the name that was decided upon by the crew) Pirates will get their own chef! I don't think I'll get myself a chef until I've gotten a new ship, I don't want to take more than I need from these kind pirates.

Perhaps I can come back later, once I've gotten myself a new ship? That sounds like a good idea, I'll have to remember it for later.

Ah, and now marines have arrived. Hopefully I'll get to fight them, but I don't particularly think I will be able to though. Ah, now Johnny and Yosaku have been beaten by the marines. They're pretty weak.

"And who exactly, are you?" The marine, Fullbody, as I heard him say, addressed me.

"Ah, I'm 'Storm Caller' Rai! My ship was destroyed a few days back. I was saved by these guys." I said with a smile, waving. "I need to finish writing things down now, please leave me alone." I said with a smile, before writing again.

Yeah, this guy looks pretty weak. Maybe I should just leave this to Lu-

The pen was promptly knocked out of my hand as I was 'Gomu Gomu no Fusen'd off of the ship by Luffy. Not to self: don't stand so close to Luffy while not paying attention.

I didn't even have time to let out a scream before I was rammed into the restaurant full-speed, breaking one of the walls. I groaned after a minute, and stuck my hand out of the pile of wood that was on top of me.

Once I broke through, I looked around, seeing stars.

"Ugh. Note to self: Never let Luffy use Gomu Gomu no Fusen while I'm in the direct line of fire…." I groaned, rubbing my forehead. I slowly got up, and shook myself off. Then I heard Luffy shouting.

"Ah, Angel-Chan, are you okay?!" A voice asked, and I looked up at a man with blonde hair and a curly eyebrow. Wait, no…. there were two people. I squinted for a second, before everything came back into focus.

"Ah, I'm alright, thank you for asking. My friend's an idiot." I said, and saw Luffy being dragged into the resturaunt. I laughed lightly. "Ah, sorry I'll be back. I'd better make sure that idiot doesn't do any more harm." I said with a smile, running after Luffy.

After I found my way to where Luffy was, I knocked on the door a couple of times. After a 'come in' that sounded like it was from an old person, I opened the door with a smile.

"Ah, I'm sorry for interrupting anything, but I was looking for that idiot." I said with a smile, pointing at the rubber-boy. "Oh, I accidentally crashed into your ship because of him by the way, so go ahead and add his debt onto it, okay?" I asked with a smile, before waving and leaving.

I heard Luffy shout after me as I ran back to the Merry, but I managed to only find my way to the main dining area. I frowned and looked around, puzzled. Then I saw the man from before. I smiled and hummed under my breath.

*"Ah, ce chef est très forte, n'est-ce pas? Je devrais recevoir un chef comme ça dans le futur." I hummed under my breath, and for a moment, I thought I saw his eyes flicker to me, but I must have been wrong.

"Hee-hee~!" I giggled, smiling wide. I slowly made my way over to where the door was, only to be hit in the face with it right after Luffy fell from the upper-floor with the old guy.

I cursed loudly, holding my (now most likely broken) nose.

**"Vous fils de pute! Fils de pute mère putain de l'enfer!" I shouted in French, holding my nose as the man shouted stuff that I didn't bother to listen to.

I decided to just leave, and walked out of the restaurant while holding my nose.

Thankfully, the Merry wasn't anchored to far away from the entrance, and I saw it easily. I walked to it and hopped onto the deck.

"Oh my god, Rai what happened to you?!"

I sighed. I was going to get one hell of a beating when Indigo hears what happened.

~X-X-X~

I frowned as I rubbed the bandages that were placed over my forehead. I contemplated taking them off; my fingers sure as hell wanted to. But this was all put to an end when Indigo slapped my hands away from my face.

"Don't you dare touch those bandages." She warned me, and I pouted, sticking my tongue out at her.

"Hey errand-boy!"

"Heard you have to work here for a year."

"Would it be alright to redraw the ship's flag?"

"Heya Luffy!" I said cheerfully, and he frowned.

When Zoro turned away Luffy put a booger in his glass. I held back my laughs, and then I started to laugh even harder when Zoro made Luffy drink it.

"O'blessed are the oceans for bringing me this fine day! O'love, laugh if you will, at my poor self who cannot endure his torturous passions!" Ah, the flirting-chef was back. "As long as I can be with you, I'm prepared to walk across any path, be it the paths of a pirate or a devil! But alas, 'tis tragic there is such a great obstacle standing between the two of us!" Yeah he's lookin' directly at Nami.

I felt my eye-brow twitch, because I've always hated flirts. Well, not hated, disliked maybe, but never really hated.

"Eh? Thunder-head what's up with you?" Zoro asked, and I felt myself snap.

***"Oh, je suis très bien Zoro, vous pièce ingrate de merde! Honnêtement, vous devriez vous soucier de mourir vos cheveux plus que le gars de cuisson flirt. Honnêtement, vous êtes un connard!" I said in a cheerful tone, to make sure that he didn't understand I was insulting him. My voice was thick with the accent that my mother had when speaking the language, as if it was her first. It probably was, actually. "Moss-tête."

"Are you insulting me?!" He asked, agitated.

"I'm just saying how cool you are Zoro. No need to be all huffy about it. I find that my mother's home language is best for things like this." I said with a smile, and he seemed suspicious but he (thankfully) dropped the subject. "Geez Zoro, calm dow-"

Then my narcolepsy decided to catch up with me.

~X-X-X~

*Ah, this chef is strong? I should get a chef like that in the future.

** You son of a whore! Son of a b*tch mother f*cking hell!

***Oh I'm just fine Zoro, you ungrateful piece of crap! Honestly, you should worry about dying your hair more than the flirting cook guy. Honestly, you're such an asshole! Moss-head.

Okay, so originally I was going to wrap the arc up in this chapter but... Nah, Ima drag it out one more chapter. Because I like cliff-hangers. Oh, and funfact: Captain Psyten was originally only going to be a one chapter Oc, and Vice-Admiral Tyven wasn't... yeah, anyway, go ahead and read on!

Disclaimer - I Own nothing but my Ocs!

Also: Thanks to rose46652 for reviewing! Ah, and nope, she's DEFINATELY not insulting him XD

Delicious Food and a Fishy Ship Arc

Chapter Four – It's you!

I sighed internally as I stared at the marine in front of me.

He was tall, had curly brown hair held back by a white bandana with the word 'Marine' on it. He was a towering eight feet tall, dwarfing my own height of five feet and three inches. Muscles rippled along his arms, exposed due to the white vest he wore, which undoubtedly had the word 'Marine' printed in blue on the back. Black slacks and dress shoes adorned his lower half, and in his right hand he held a large double-edged axe, wickedly sharp. With black beady little eyes and a thick face to top it all off, he was ugly.

But, I already knew this.

This was the man that had destroyed my ship.

The man that had taken my home from me.

The one who had defeated me.

The one who I am now going to beat.

As soon as he had stepped onto the platform that had suddenly appeared on the Baratie, he had calmed the chaos of the battle that had ensued when Don Krieg had decided to take the fish-shaped ship, and all had grown quiet. It seemed like none dared to utter a word, and it seemed as if not a single breath had been taken.

Then, he spoke.

"Where is the one known as 'Storm Caller' Rai, worth nearly forty-thousand Beri?" He asked slowly, in a deep voice filled with smugness.

Then I looked up, and straightened.

"I am Rai." I said coldly, taking a single step forward, my tonfas in hand. The cold silver was slightly warm from the electricity that had surged through it moments before, and scarlet blood ran down it from the pirates that I had been fighting. "And you are the Marine Captain that took from me my home."

"Hmph, this little girl? You can't be serious." He said in a mocking manner, and it made my blood boil.

"Yes, this little girl, is Rai, Daughter of Hemlock M. Cassandra, witch of Chiyama Island, and the best damned woman I've ever had the pleasure of meeting." I said coldly, my glare hard. "This little girl is going to beat the hell out of you."

"Your mother is that witch from Chiyama?" He asked, obviously taking it down.

"Damn right she is! I'm proud to call her my mother!" I spat, electricity crackling through my hair.

"It certainly explains why you are a monster then." He grunted.

"Oh? Does it now? Well this little monster is going to give you hell. After all, if I couldn't defeat a simple Marine Captain, where would I be?" I asked, smirking at his confused expression. "After all, I'm going to write a tale of my adventures, a book that will be heard of all throughout the Grand Line! And I'll be damned if I let anyone or anything get in my way!" I rushed forward, my tonfas meeting the Marine's battle axe, the loud sound of silver on steel echoing throughout the make-shift battle grounds.

As soon as our weapons collided, the battle commenced.

Sanji and Luffy were dealing with the weird guy, so I knew I wouldn't get help from them. Besides, I don't need their help, I can deal with the weaklings on my own.

I couldn't even spare a glance though, as my eyes had to be focused on my enemy's eyes, because movements can lie, but the eyes never do. Our movements were locked in place; he would throw a punch or swing his axe, and I would block it with my tonfas (which was my favorite form as of late) then swing a hit at him, which he would block.

We were locked in a stalemate, though he was landing more hits than I was, due to his sheer muscle mass and dirty tactics. He was still zapped several times though.

Then Luffy ended the stalemate.

He destroyed the 'Fins' of the ship, the platform that we had been fighting on.

Right as the Marine Captain had aimed a punch my way.

It was the combination of lack of footing, loss of focus due to the deck being destroyed, and the punch that I barely had time to block that landed me in hot water.

Or perhaps it's cold water?

I'm not entirely sure to be honest.

I'm more worried about the fact that I'm kind of drowning at the moment.

Yeah, I probably shouldn't be worrying about metaphors while drowning.

~X-X-X~

It's so cold and dark. I can't see a thing. Water pulses all around me, pulling and pushing me this way and that, while simultaneously dragging me farther down. But for the life of me…..I can't fight back. I know that it's not a dream this time. It's reality. I can tell by the way that my chest hurts, the pressure that's building inside of it, though it's all I can do to keep the precious oxygen within my lungs. It won't be long now until it escapes though, and then I'll be in trouble.

Well, more trouble than I already am.

I'm glad Zoro's not here. He's injured enough as it is, and he'd probably try to jump in after me. That or Johnny or Yosaku would, if they could keep him down long enough.

Oh….. The water's stopped pushing against me.

That or I just can't tell anymore.

No, wait…..

It really did stop. But I'm still being dragged under, I've just stopped being tossed around like a rag doll.

Now that it's somewhat peaceful….I have a moment to think.

Well, other than the fact that the last bubbles of oxygen that were in my lungs were floating to the surface.

After I had woken up in the Baratie (after, of course, we had gone to tease Luffy, Zoro, Usopp and I) I had barely been given an explanation as to what was happening. The first thing that happened was that Don Kreig guy showed up, then this whole fight thing happened. All that really registered was that the Marine Captain that destroyed my ship was there, and that I fought him.

Ah, my vision's going dark.

I feel….Kinda sleepy.

I feel like laughing but…..I have no air left.

….I want to take a nap but….. what about everyone on the surface?

Hm….I think…..that a quick nap would be okay.

Yeah, a quick nap is all.

Only…a…few…minutes.

Delicious Food and a Fishy Ship Arc

Chapter Five – Umm…..What happened?

With a soft sigh, the woman swam towards the girl as the last bubbles of air escaped from her lips, tinged with blue from lack of oxygen. Not that it mattered really, it was just another poor pirate soul to collect after all.

But what she saw made her nearly curse, but she stopped herself from doing so. After all, it was not the proper thing for her to do in this situation. No, she needed to get the girl to a safe area, where she could be taken care of properly and be safe. The marine ship passed harmlessly above the two, obviously satisfied that it had finished its duty.

She was a young girl in looks, thirteen at the most, but the woman knew better. Though this girl did not have the dark hair of her mother, but rather the white hair that was attributed from her father, the woman still recognized her immediately. How could she not recognize her kin? Snow white hair that fell to her chin floated around her, no longer tossed around by the after-shock waves of the attack that the devil fruit user up on the surface had used to destroy the wooden platform. Her eyes were now shut, but she had seen the light, ocean blue orbs that held a wisp of gold just moments before.

She was pale, but it was most likely from the cold of the deep waters that surrounded her, and the contrast from her onyx wings that had instinctively wrapped around her, covering most of her torso made her seem even paler. Though the color of her clothing was bright, her shirt a fluorescent yellow and her pants an electric blue. She wore no shoes, something that ran in the family.

The woman quickly used her powers to pull the water from the girl's lungs, and breathed air into her system. With a quick (temporary) blessing, the girl could now filter the oxygen from the water and take it in. With quick, precise kicks, the woman was propelling herself towards the surface, the small girl cradled gently in her arms.

Though she had to quickly pull both herself and her ward underwater, just as the smoke-bomb hit. She waited until the smoke had dissipated before she deemed it safe to resurface. She quickly made her way towards where the old man was, whom she had seen nearly nine years before on her routes. She had nearly written the man and the small boy with the curly eyebrow off as dead. But they hadn't been.

She quickly made her way over while the rubber-boy and the blonde chef were distracted. She heaved the girl up onto the deck next to the old man, and the three men that had been standing there turned to her quickly, weapons at the ready.

"Take care of my kin." The woman said gently, before dipping down below the waves once more, her precise kicks and strokes of her arms carrying her deeper and deeper. She had to push all thoughts other than her duties from her mind, lest she become distracted.

~X-X-X~

"….ke…..p…."

Is that….someone's voice? It can't be though…I'm still underwater….

"….i….ke….up…."

It sounds a lot like someone saying something.

"….ai!...Ake…..up!"

Is that person…..talking to me?

"Rai! Wake up!"

It sounds like they're talking to me. Should I open my eyes? It's hard to move at all. I wanna go back to sleep.

Poke.

"Wake up!"

I groaned and slowly opened my eyes to see a smiling Luffy above me.

"Lu….ffy…?" I asked slowly, my voice hoarse. It actually hurt to speak.

"Come on Rai! You've been sleeping forever! I'm getting bored!" Luffy whined and I winced, but sat myself up. I only spared a glance at myself. I was bandaged again, and made a side note to take them off later.

"So you've…beat….Don…Krieg…?" I asked thickly, trying to speak properly but failing.

"Yeah!" He said, smiling wide.

I smiled back at him, and raised my hand weakly.

"Would you…..help me up…?" I asked, starting to be able to speak better.

He smiled and grabbed my hand, and helped me up. I was in a bed, but it was still hard to move. I just need to walk it off and get some food. Food and sleep cures everything.

I smiled and Luffy helped me walk. Unfortunately Sanji was there, but he seemed really animated about something. As we walked to the kitchen, Sanji told us about the All Blue. He seemed really eager about it, and I listened intently, loving the story of it completely.

Thankfully we were at the kitchen quickly though, because I was starving.

"Hmm…? Where's our seats?" Sanji asked, and I tilted my head, shrugging and sitting on the ground.

"Where's the food?" Luffy asked, the two not noticing me.

"Just sit on the floor."

"There aint no chairs for you."

I moved so that my legs were folded underneath me, and popped my back. Sanji brought me over a tray of food with heart eyes, and I thanked him. I kinda spaced the rest out, as I was so intent on inhaling all of my food that I only barely registered Sanji leaving, and I held up my bowl for some more soup, and kept eating. Then Johnny burst through the wall, half-eaten by a panda shark.

"….Can we eat it?" I asked slowly, and got hit over the head.

"Is that all you can think of?!" Someone asked, and I laughed, pulling out my travel log, ignoring everything else. It probably wasn't a good idea but…. Meh.

I was saved from sinking to the deep depths by someone, but I don't know who. Either way, I'm really grateful. It's almost time to go after Nami. Yosaku just burst through the wall half-eaten by a panda shark. Ah, now he's explaining about how the others need help and we have to go after them. I wonder how this is going to end up. Luffy's beaten Don Krieg, and I'm glad that he did. It means that he's getting stronger. If I wasn't a captain already, I would love to be in the crew of a captain like that.

Strong and wanting to go and complete his dreams. I want to be stronger. Hell, I couldn't beat a marine captain, one that I've already lost to even! It makes my blood boil just thinking that he's beat me this many times already. But next time, I'm going to beat him for sure.

Oh, Sanji's joined Luffy's crew now, and we're heading out to go to and get Nami back. I'd better get going then, and write more later.

I sighed and put my notebook away with a smile, hiding it in a pocket somewhere. Yeah, even I'm not sure where I keep everything. I don't even have any pants pockets. I went to make a move to follow Luffy, but fell on the ground, asleep.

Fucking Narcolepsy!

End of Arc

Hey guys! Sorry that this is such a short chapter, but some stuff has been going on and I haven't had time to write! I felt obligated to give you a chapter, so I pushed through this short chapter during my third period class, so sorry about that. I also needed a way to show how Indigo is with Arlong and stuff.

Thanks to MsWildLuck, CallmeEevee and rose46652 for reviewing,

Chieko Namikaze, LilPrincess95, MsWildLuck, REaderBot3000, and rose46652 for following, and

ReaderBot3000 for favoriting!

Oh, right, and we're at over 500 Views guys! 500! When we get to one thousand, I'll put up a special chapter for you guys! Please Review! I'll answer any questions you have by the way!

Disclaimer - I own nothing but my ocs

Arc Five – Fishmen Suck!

Chapter One – Deceit?

"Hey you! Stop right there! I'm going to kill Arlong! He killed my dad! So if you don't get out of my way I'll kill you too!"

With a cold look from the two of us, Nami and I, that is, we turned around to face the boy.

"I'm serious!" He shouted, tear leaking out of his eyes.

"Arlong….." Nami began, her hands moving to where her Bo staff was hidden.

"Doesn't have time to waste on little brats like you!" We shouted, Nami knocking him away with her staff, as I simply scoffed.

"Here's a little money, use it for your own protection." Nami said, dropping a small bundle of money down next to him.

I linked my arm in Nami's, gently squeezing her hand in a comforting manner as we walked through the gates.

"Oh! So you're back! That was quite a long trip!"

Nami and I sported the same looks as we walked down the pathway towards Arlong.

"This mansion is lax as always." Nami said in a (fake) relieved manner.

"Quite settling, if you ask me." I added, nodding once.

"Ha! As if anyone would dare to knowingly raid this estate!" Arlong laughed, and I kept the smile on my face. "How much did the two of you rake in this time?"

"Quite a bit!"

"But it was actually strangely heartbreaking this time!" I added, my look mirroring Nami's own as she nodded.

"Shahahaha! Since when did the two of you get so sentimental?! Betraying people is your specialties, isn't it?" He laughed, and we kept the sly smiles on our faces.

"Oh? Is that so?" We asked our arms still linked.

"My Fishmen brothers! Our comrades have finally returned! Let us prepare a feast!" Arlong shouted, gaining cheers from everyone. Geez, another party?

~X-X-X~

With a slight sigh, I padded away from my spot next to Indigo, and towards the mansion, where her room was. I looked one last time at my Mistress before entering the building.

Her waist length black hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and she wore a pair of black shorts and a plain ocean blue tank top, her robotic right leg and hand showing plainly. On her left calf was her 'Fishmen Pirates' tattoo. Her deep ocean blue eyes were alive and on her face she wore a sly smirk.

I sighed once more, before exiting. Hopefully the others would get here soon and free her. I can't stand not being able to directly interfere with the fate of this world. To not be able to free her on my own. But…..I am the light, so I follow the rules.

…..

Don't I?

~X-X-X~


	7. The Juggler - One Piece

**Real Author's note: So this is the entirety of The Juggler (book one and two) as I have it here on this profile. anyway, this is old, and here it is. I ended up leaving out the final authors note stuff tho lol.**

* * *

AN: Oops, I didn't realize I posted the wrong chapter until now. The chapter I previously posted was the first final draft of it, my bad.

Anyway, enjoy!

I own nothing but my own OCs and story plots!

* * *

Edit: This is the first book in the series of fics I'll be doing, and I wanted to quickly come back to say that I don't mind if you review old chapters to let me know what you think! Anyway, this book is finished, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **The Juggler**

 **Book One: Dreams of Freedom**

 **Chapter One**

Her name was Alex, and if there was one thing she knew, it was that she wanted to be free.

It was her most desperate wish - her dream even.

If there was a single thing she wanted more than anything it would be freedom, plain and true.

The wind floating through her hair as she stood on the porch or balcony of her own home, or on the street, and she would know she was free. She would stand there, a backpack on her back and her head held high as she smiled, breathing the fresh air.

And she would be free.

Perhaps that's why she made the deal.

* * *

She couldn't remember when the dreams started, or if she'd always had them.

In her dreams she was standing on the beach, sand between her toes and the waves lapping at her ankles as she stood there and looked into the distance. The breeze blew through her shortly cropped hair and fresh air came into her lungs – it was cleaner than she'd ever smelt, even with the salty tang.

She was wearing a pair of swimming trunks and a half shirt, as she was often prone to wear in her dreams where she was standing like this.

In her dreams she was exactly how she'd always wanted to be.

She was tall – perhaps five foot six or seven, with muscles that didn't bulge, but made her lithe. (In her head she'd often compared this self to Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece.) Her hair was short, cropped just long enough she could run her fingers through the spiked locks, and she sometimes had to shake the short brown hair from between her fingers.

Although she hadn't always liked her face, it remained relatively the same in these dreams – her jaw was square shaped (though not too terribly much) and it made her look a little manly (not that she minded however) and her nose was a little big and a little wide. She'd always had a chubby face, but now, here in her dreams, her face was more angular – sharper, than it ever had been, and she wasn't entirely sure if she liked it. Her eyes were maroon, like her favorite color, not the gray-ish color they'd always been.

Her own appearance unsettled her slightly, and so did her outfit.

When she was in these dreams in what she supposed was her "normal" outfit, she wore maroon pants that reminded her of the Gerudo from the Legend of Zelda games. Her top was a half shirt but also a vest – white with black outlining, and around her neck was a long cherry colored scarf. Sometimes she wore shoes (pointed black ones) or others she was simply barefoot.

To be perfectly honest, she wasn't sure her outfit was her subconscious desire to cosplay or not.

But she did like it, even though it was a little weird.

"Sis, you okay?" A voice came from nowhere, interrupting her train of thought.

Oh right.

She's cooking dinner.

"Shit!" Alex cursed, attempting to save the rest of the dinner she hadn't ruined.

When it was apparent that the dinner wasn't going to be edible, she groaned and dumped the contents into a Tupperware – she'd eat it later.

"Alright Caden go figure out what pizza you want." She eventually said with a sigh, and her little brother ran off to google the nearest pizza place.

Alex sighed once more, sinking into a chair and rubbing her eyes. Normally she never spaced out that bad, but for some reason she just couldn't focus today. All day she had been unfocused and found her mind drifting to her dreams.

She had the feeling it was going to be a long week

* * *

AN: So now that i've updated the first chapter (since i accidentally posted the wrong one in a moment of haste) I'm reading to get to the next one!

So i thought i should talk about why this story is "Book One".

I decided that instead of having a huge fic of 90+ chapters, I'd split them into books. Book one is the introductory book, which will span about twenty or more chapters. This sets up the fic to lead into canon events without me having to worry about jumping right into them.

I'll talk more of this as the story progresses, but unfortunately right now I can't say much without spoiling anything.

So read on!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own characters and their own special plots!

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Alex is more than relieved when the day is through – her little brother is asleep and so is her father, leaving her with free time to do as she pleases.

So she spends the next coming hours playing various video games and listening to music, working on various projects. She writes a bit - a paragraph is all she can manage - but just can't find what she wants to write.

It's three in the morning by the time Alex drags herself up the stairs and into her room, collapsing onto her bed.

But all she can do is stare at her ceiling, waiting for sleep to come. When it finally does, she doesn't notice her eyes are drooping, or that her breathing is becoming even.

And then she dreams.

* * *

Alex smiles contently as the waves lap at her bare feet, the sand squishing between her toes. The breeze blows through her short hair, and she smiles once more.

The view is beautiful - all she can see in front of her is the cerulean ocean, the sun shining brightly against the water and is warm against her skin.

Alex stretches before sitting down, leaning back on her hands with her legs in the water (after rolling her pants up that is).

She wished every day could be so peaceful.

"You gonna stop admiring the view for a second?" A voice asks from behind her, and in a moment of panic Alex summons two weapons - two juggling clubs, one for each hand - and leaps to her feet.

The woman behind her is smiling at her.

"Wh-who-" She begins, but the tall woman in front of her cuts her off.

"Alex Keeper, I am here to make you a deal for your freedom."

That definitely shuts Alex up, and she snaps her mouth shut, nodding warily at the tall woman in front of her.

The woman in front of Alex is tall - standing at at least six foot seven. Her hair is soft pink, tied up into a pony tail. This woman is beautiful - muscular and strong, as through she was a swordsman (actually that assumption could be correct considering the blade at her hip). Her eyes are a deep chocolate brown, and if Alex was older she was sure she'd be very much attracted to this woman.

The woman smirks, as if knowing what Alex is thinking, before crossing her arms and leaning one hip.

"Alex, I can offer you a contract to give you your freedom, but you must pay a price."

Alex nods so slightly to the woman that Alex is worried she won't catch it. But the woman does, and then continues talking with a slightly cocky smirk on her face.

"Alright, let's talk freedom, and what you can do for me." Alex says in response, as the woman starts babbling about something she isn't interested in.

All she can think about is the fact that freedom is so incredibly close she can taste it, and she can't find the will to care that this is is dream.

The woman smiles now, a real, honest to god smile, and it's unsettling.

"Alexandria - or Alexander, if you prefer - in order to obtain your freedom you must become a pirate."

Alex almost laughs at that - become a pirate? Alex? There was no way that would happen. Pirates no longer existed like that anymore, and while they may still roam, they are not nearly as free as someone who declares no attachment to any land and lives anywhere they can.

The woman just smiles wider, her eyes taking on an unsettling quality.

"But before you can become a pirate, you have to die."

* * *

 **AN:** I forgot to do an Author's note so i edited this one in.

So basically the reason that it seems like there's a huge part left out is because there is.

All will eventually be revealed.

I own nothing but my OC and original plot

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Consciousness doesn't come to Alex swiftly.

The first thing she vaguely understands is the dull ache in her body, throbbing with every beat of her heart. Then comes the softness of water around her, pushing forward around her then back.

It takes a few minutes for her to wake, and when she does she is finally conscious of three things.

One - her entire body hurts as though she'd been hit by a truck.

Two - she was on the beach, and waves were pushing up around her.

And finally three - she had no idea where the fuck she was.

The first thing Alex does is sit up (slowly of course. She couldn't risk sitting up too fast or she might make the throbbing in her head worse).

As soon as she's in an upright position the world spins for a moment before she manages to control it by taking deep, calming breaths and closing her eyes. Once the world has stopped spinning, Alex slowly and carefully stands up, being careful not to fall.

Huh.

There's red everywhere.

Mkay.

Alex decided that it'd be for the best if she ignore the obvious red cherry koolaid everywhere (there was no way she was going to admit she was bleeding heavily).

First she'd have to find her way towards a to - oh. There's a giant-ass building in the distance.

Okay, that's a start.

Alex begins to slowly stumble and shuffle towards the building, her legs weak and eyes drooping. It's incredibly hard for her to stay awake, to not drop to the ground and sleep more, and the only thing keeping her awake is the fact that she's shaking her head every few seconds. And the fact that she keeps tripping isn't helping either.

Finally, painstakingly, she reaches the edge of a town, her feet slick with sea water and the 'cherry kool-aid', causing her to slip slightly with every step. The stone is so hot it hurts her feet as she walks, and the sun is starting to make her too warm.

People back away from her in a scared manner, and every time she attempts to talk to someone, they run away.

Must be the cherry kool-aid.

There's someone next to her in the window of the shop she's passing by, so she stops and attempts to talk to them.

Before realizing it's her reflection.

And it's her 'ideal self'.

Oh boy.

* * *

AN: I own nothing but my own plot and OC

Also: italics mean it's in a language the POV doesn't understand from now on.

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

Alex stares numbly at her own reflection, mesmerized by the maroon eyes staring back at her.

She runs one hand over her face, her thin fingers gliding over the smooth skin there.

She is taller than she has ever been, her muscles lithe and her chest flat (finally). Her hair is fluffy and short - darker than she was used to, but time in the sun would remedy that.

As she stares at herself in the shop window, covered in "Cherry Kool-Aid" and wearing a white shirt and slacks (as though she was a slave once, but had ran away), she feels panic rise within her.

This body is wrong, her eyes are wrong her hair is WRONG! This isn't her body, this isn't her face and it's not her clothing! This isn't her backpack on her back, the familiarity of the blue backpack was gone, and all she has is the black duffle bag now.

But even as she panics and denies the body she's in, she can see the similarities. The small thin scar at the edge of her right eye from where her brother had cut her with his fingernail as a baby while she was watching him. The thin scar from a cat's claw is there on the back of her left hand, every mole is in it's place. This is undeniably her body - every last stretch mark and mole and scar she'd ever received is _there_.

But every inch of her mind screams at her not to believe it - this isn't how she looks!

She's chubby and four inches shorter and her fingers are thick and her hair is long and it isn't right!

She doesn't want this body she doesn't want it!

 _"Excuse me, are you alright_?" Comes a soft voice from behind her, speaking Japanese.

Oh god, is she in Japan?

"I- I don't-" Alex manages to choke out, her eyes wide and frightened even in the face of this woman in front of her.

The woman is shorter than her - curvy and gentle and she looks and feels like a mother.

She reaches out to touch her and Alex instinctively flinches, pressing herself back against the window. The woman doesn't move from her position, her hand outstretched halfway in a gentle soothing gesture. She slowly keeps moving her hand forward, gently setting her hand on Alex's cheek.

The woman smiles and lets Alex collapse into her arms, sobbing and crying while Alex speaks in a language she's sure the woman can't fully understand. The woman just gently shushes her and pats her head, smoothing her hair and letting Alex sob and cry.

Alex hadn't realized how much she'd missed this - how much she had missed the comforting touch of another human being, especially a motherly one. She hadn't realized how much she missed hearing voices of other humans and not just animals.

She couldn't be sure how long she was in that hell hole of a trial, or how long she stayed in the woman's arms.

All she knew was that she was finally safe, finally among other humans.

And that was all that mattered.

* * *

 **AN:** This chapter's a little longer than usual, and not too terribly good. I'll probably rewrite it eventually, but I'm not too terribly good with the transitions.

But I'll eventually get better!

Yes, Alex still has no clue where the fuck she is.

D.B = Demon Bitch

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC and original plot!

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

The woman, Ririka, as she'd learned, was kind to Alex, gently coaxing her towards the inn (and bar? or was it a restaurant?) that Ririka owned.

Her daughter, Rika, was very nice to Alex and Rika reminded her of her little brother.

Ririka acted as though Alex was a wild animal (though that wasn't too terribly off at the moment), gently coaxing and soothing her as Alex jumped with every loud noise.

Loud noises meant danger, and danger meant she needed to attack, to do something to -

Ririka takes Alex's hand, gently leading her into a room.

Ririka says something to her - she can't catch most of it, and doesn't understand what she does hear anyway. She's also doesn't understand how her duffle bag came to be across the room in a chair.

"I- I don't understand..." Alex says in a strained whisper of a voice, and Ririka smiles and puts her hand on her head as though in realization.

"Ah, you speak West?" Ririka says to her, and Alex nearly sobs in relief - finally, she can understand someone!

She's not entirely sure what she means by 'West' though.

"Y-yes." Alex says while nodding, and Ririka smiles.

"I don't speak...well." She says, as though translating the language in her head from her own, which Alex is sure is what she's doing. "Just enough though."

Ririka's accent is thick, and Alex has to think for a moment to understand her, but she does.

"Okay." Alex mutters, nodding.

"I have to take care of hurt." Ririka says, pointing to the wound on Alex's abdomen.

She says nothing, just nods and lays back on the bed, closing her eyes, allowing the woman to work.

Alex almost jumps at the wet cloth against her skin, but refrains from doing so. She's considerably much more prepared when the cloth rubs at the wound gently, cleaning it. All that escapes her mouth is a slight his and her eyes scrunch up.

Huh.

She used to cry like a bitch when she got hurt.

The needle surprises her a bit, and it's all she can do not to attack the woman next to her savagely. She suppresses the instinct, enduring the needle that helps to close the wound as Ririka sews it up.

Alex is taut like a wire, muscles tense and her hands gripping the sides of the bed.

Every instinct is screaming at her to attack to flee to do _something_ about the pain, but she suppresses the instinct by taking deep breaths and thinking of anything she can.

She thinks of the egg in her bag - a gift from that demon bitch who brought her here.

* * *

"Heh, you've done well kid." Sakura says to her, smirking down at her from up in the tree.

"Fuck off." Alex mutters, her breathing ragged and muscles burning.

"Honestly you've done much better than most." The demon says, sipping a cup of sake. "Most don't make it through the first trial - you've passed all three with flying colors. Even considering you aren't that well off. Physically that is."

Alex doesn't say anything to that, just takes deep breaths to slow her heart rate, but she can't suppress the growl that rises in the back of her throat.

"Heh, still don't like me then?" Demon-Bitch's face suddenly contorts into a fearsome look. "Get over it. You've only got me for now."

"Well actually," D.B cuts her own sentence off, hopping out of the tree. "You've got a friend now."

Alex barely manages to catch the egg in time - D.B gives her no warning before tossing it over, and the egg is slippery.

Time seems to slow down for Alex in that moment. All she can see is the egg in her hands, the ties of it that lead to her are invisible, but she can feel them.

The egg is large - she has to hold it with both hands - and smooth. There are inky black markings all over the egg. Some of the markings are swirls, others curving lines that are fluid. When she looks closely, the egg is slightly bumpy and lumpy, but still silky to the touch.

"That's a familiar's egg." D.B comments, and Alex jolts up, having forgotten she was there entirely.

"What?" Alex asks, all anger and hatred forgotten because of this single egg.

"The egg you've got - it'll hatch eventually." Sakura confirms, smiling a bit. "The hatchling will be a familiar, and you'll have to name it. It'll follow you wherever you go, and will aid you at all times."

"Really?" Alex asks, blinking in surprise.

"Yeah." Sakura says with a smile, gently petting Alex's hair (she almost growls at this, but can't seem to find anger at the moment). "You'll never be alone again."

* * *

"All done!" Ririka says with a smile, and Alex jolts out of her thoughts.

"O-Okay, thank you very much." Alex says as Ririka has her sit up to bandage the wound.

Ririka smiles and nods.

"Sleep now, we speak later." Ririka says once she's done bandaging Alex up.

"Ah - my bag, would you bring it here please?" Alex says, pointing to the bag as Ririka attempts to lay her down.

Ririka moves across the room silently, picking the bag up gently, bringing it back and allowing Alex to rustle through it for the egg.

Alex gently (yet tightly) pulls the egg to her chest when she has the bag again, and her eyes close.

She's asleep before she knows it.

* * *

 **AN:** This chapter is, of course, just as long as normal but I feel like it's a little short?

It's probably because it actually is - I typically get five hundred words pre-author's note, but I wanted to kinda seamlessly transition into a different Point of View without doing it in the same chapter. It allows me to kinda work in short bursts so I don't hurt my inspiration to write.

I find that I'm better at writing smaller chapters.

anyway, here we go

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC and original plot!

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

When Alex wakes, her body aches, but the stabbing pain is gone and her slave-like clothing was gone.

That definitely wakes her up.

Alex bolts out of bed (but is extremely careful of the egg in her arms), looking about herself frantically. She doesn't know where the hell she is, or what's even going on.

The last thing she remembers is the trials and Sakura giving her the egg, and then there was pain and it hurts so bad ithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts-

"Oh, you're awake!" A woman's voice says softly from behind her, and Alex spins around, slamming her back into the wall behind her, protectively curled around her egg.

The woman stops, a tray of food in her hands. She looks almost shocked for a moment before smiling gently and lowering her voice, speaking softly as though to an animal.

"I brought food." She says, gently setting the tray down onto the bed, as well as a pitcher of water that is on the table. She turns around to smile at me.

It all comes flooding back to me.

The beach, my body, the wounds.

Ririka smiles gently at her, still soothing and careful, and Alex can't blame her.

Even though Alex has calmed, and recognizes Ririka, she still feels wary. There's an instinct telling her not to trust this woman, that even though Ririka may be kind and caring, there is no way to guarantee that she will stay like that. Alex understands completely that this woman will not betray her. Ririka is a mother through and through, and Alex realizes that all Ririka can see is her - injured, hurt, but Alex cannot trust her.

Ririka smiles and sets a pile of clothes on the chair in the room before taking her leave, shutting the door gently behind her.

Alex slowly moves from her spot on the wall, and towards the food.

The thought of a warm and full belly is incredibly appealing considering all she's been able to eat for the past... How long was she in the trials for? How long were those grueling, painstaking trials going on for?

Then another stream of questions enters her mind.

Was she the only one who was alive? Did all those others she'd seen die?

Did...

Did she kill them?

Alex doesn't remember eating the food in front of her.

She can't remember when tears started slipping down her face, or when she had fallen to the floor.

Gods she was loosing all of her sense of control.

...And possibly her mind.

* * *

 **AN:** So I've decided that if I get reviews that I have a larger response for, I'll do what I'm calling a "Review Corner". That way you can skip the responses I give (which may have some important info, but w/e).

I will also pose a question at the end of the Review corner, and If you wanna answer the question, feel free to. If not, you don't have to either.

That being said, I will update a chapter after having posted this (though it may take a few minutes before I upload it) and sorry if you though this was an update chapter!

* * *

 **Cyannel:**

Thank you very much for your compliment! I very much appreciate it.  
As to what her familiar will be: This "book" will actually end with the familiar hatching!

* * *

 **.cake:**

Thank you very much for your input and questions, which i will now mostly answer.

1\. We will indeed hear more of the trials as not only this book but the fic in its entirety progresses. The trials are a touchy subject, and Alex does not want to remember them much or have a large exposition on them. She tends to throw herself away from negative thoughts if she can. So the trials will most likely be mentioned more through the fic and perhaps more thoroughly covered in much later chapters.

2\. Alex is actually Genderfluid (which i will elaborate on for those who do not know what Genderfluidity is).

Being Genderfluid means that you experience gender fluidly. Some days you may be female, male, agender, etc...

Alex doesn't typically care what pronouns are used for her, but due to the fact that she was DFAB (designated female at birth), I tend to use Feminine pronouns for the story, as it generally helps readers keep track of who im talking about.

Of course, if Alex feels a certain gender in one chapter i will put a quick warning at the top of the chapter to avoid confusion.

That being said, the gender Alex is typically reflects my own gender while writing the chapter (as I am Genderfluid.)

3\. Alex is in fact in possession of her own body.

Basically I'll cover the bare bones of what kinda happened, since i dont want to spoil anything.

Alex made a pact with the "Demon Bitch" (As Alex likes to call her) Sakura. What kind of Demon Sakura is remains to be seen, as I can't reveal anything at this point in time.

After passing her trials with (or without? Mystery) other souls that were attempting them (exactly who or how many remains to be seen), Alex was granted her "Freedom" in the form of going to start a new life in the One Piece world with a duffle bag of items (whats inside still remains to be seen) and an egg that will hatch into a familiar.

The familiar reflects the soul and needs of the individual.

The familiars in this context are somewhat like shapeshifters- they absorb the energy and feelings and personality of their "Master" while in egg form, and then take a form that they will stay in for the rest of their lives based on the needs and personality of the master they get.

Oops theres a rant about familiars. Time to move on.

To start a new life, Sakura makes Alex's body different - into her "ideal" body that she used to have. Alex, of course, though slightly ecstatic, wants her old body back.

Also - Alex is wearing "Slave Clothing" only because that was the base outfit Sakura gave her to wear for her trials.

So they were the clothing she wore last.

So no, there's not an entire slave arc (or will there be?) or anything. People just assume that the reason she's so jumpy and dressed as she is, is due to being a slave.

4.

I certainly can make the chapters longer, however i won't.

There is a method for my madness though.

I have learned that the easiest way for me to write chapters is to write shorter ones - 500 words pre-Authors note is typical of me.

I do realize i have said the fic (just over this "book of it") would be roughly 20 chapters. However, I feel like this fic will be roughly 30 chapters, with roughly 15k words of pure content without Authors notes, by the end of this book.

I burn out easily with fics that i have long chapters of. I write well with short bursts, and i feel less pressured with getting chapters out if I just get a chapter done a day at least.

Of course, in compensation for the lack of chapter content, i update around once a day.

I have also found that if I write short chapters i can easily keep the fic going at a steady rate, which was impossible before.

* * *

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC and original plot!

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

Ririka falls into a heavily into a chair, her body and mind in a state of exhaustion.

She hadn't thought taking care of her daughter (Rika was now seven and had decided that she no longer needed naps), and the restaurant, and the poor girl she'd pulled in off the streets would be so hard.

When she'd seen the girl on the streets, she'd known instantly the kind of situation she'd come from.

* * *

Ririka smiles at Rika running off with a girl her age - Alana's child Mimi if she wasn't mistaken. They seemed to be having fun, and they were going to Mimi's house, so Ririka had no qualms with Rika going off to play (as Rika had also asked prior to that).

There was a commotion from across the street - slight shrieks of fear or grunts of disgust.

Ririka turned her head to look, and found her heart nearly breaking.

There was a girl (?) across the street, staring at herself in the window of the Antique's shop.

Her clothes were plain - just a simple top and pants that were a dingy white - grimy and tattered. The white clothing was stained with red, although the girl didn't seem to notice. She was staring at herself, running her red-tinged hands over her face and almost crying.

Ririka was a mother, and she always had been. All her life she'd had a motherly instinct, whether it was towards someone's child she didn't know, or to her friends, she'd always been protective and caring.

So before she could stop herself, Ririka found herself striding across the street towards the girl, gently and slowly approaching the girl, who doesn't seem to notice her.

The girl is entranced by her own reflection.

"Excuse me, are you alright?" Ririka asks in as soft a voice she can manage, resisting the urge to pull the girl towards her.

"I - I don't -" The girl stutters in Western, and Ririka can't help but feel even more sorry for the girl.

She's such a long way from home.

Ririka slowly reaches out to touch the girl, and she flinches back into the mirror at Ririka's gesture.

As soon as Ririka is sure the girl is calmer, she gently reaches out to touch the girl again, soothingly rubbing circles with her thumb on the girl's cheek, smiling gently and humming a lullaby she'd often sung to Rika.

It doesn't take long for the girl to collapse into Ririka's arms, sobbing and wailing, having dropped the bag on her back, but doesn't seem to notice. Ririka just keeps humming and rubbing soothing circles into the girl's back, not caring that the poor girl is getting blood all over Ririka's dress.

* * *

Ririka shakes her head with a sigh, deciding that things would be alright - once the girl was recovered, she was sure that things would start to turn around.

"Um...Ririka?" A voice comes from behind her, and Ririka slowly turns around to look at the girl she'd saved (Alex, Ririka thought she'd said in passing) standing behind her.

"Yes, Alex?" Ririka asks gently to the girl, who is now clad in a dress that's a tad too baggy on her.

"Ah... Can I _help you?_ " She asks, the last part of her sentence coming the the form of a mumble.

Ririka frowns and tries to figure out what the girl had said before looking back up.

"Could you say that again?" Ririka says slowly, having not used Western in a long time - since her school days in fact.

"Can I help here?" Alex asks, her hands clasped together in front of her.

Ririka smiles and nods, and the relief that rushes over the poor girl's face is enough to make Ririka's exhaustion dwindle.

"Come with me." Ririka says with a smile, grabbing a stool from the bar and walking into the kitchen, towards the sink.

After setting the stool down, she motions for Alex to sit down, and notices that she still has that egg in her arms, but decides not to say anything. Alex sets the egg in her pocket before sitting down, and Ririka hands her an apron.

"Here, you can wash the dishes." Ririka says, having to pause every so often to think of what to say properly. Thank goodness she'd actually been interested in learning Western when she was younger.

Alex smiles and gets to work, and Ririka refrains from kissing the top of the poor girl's head.

The way her muscles are tense and she is slowly doing the dishes is enough of a signal that she's on alert for danger. Ririka has no doubts that this girl, no matter where she came from, was scared enough to hurt her if need be.

Ririka lets out another sigh as she sits in a chair.

...She's going to have to keep that girl from Helmeppo.

* * *

 **AN:** Alriiiiighhht chapter eight!

Review responses wil lbe at the end of the chapter!

I also forgot to put a question down at the end of the Review Corner, so I'll put it at the end of the chapter as well!

Disclaimer: i own nothing but my OC and original plot!

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

Alex breathes incredibly deeply as she lets the wind blow across her face, the first breath of fresh air she'd gotten in... weeks, she's sure.

After a few days of adjustment (and one mental breakdown after finding out she was in the East Blue in a world she had once thought was fictional later) the doctor had come to check her wounds.

Boy was she glad Ririka had medical field training, because she was sure that without Ririka's care, she would have bled out.

Maybe it was the weird One Piece physics or something?

Like, maybe it was some of the weird 'I can bleed twenty gallons of blood before dying' type things that were often part of anime.

Okay no that's stupid.

" _Hey, sis what are you doing?_ " Rika says beside her, startling Alex.

Oh oops.

She forgot Rika was escorting her around town.

"Ah, sorry Rika!" Alex apologizes, before realizing that Rika probably can't understand her. "Ah... _sorry, Rika._ "

Rika smiles and starts speaking again, holding Alex's hand as they walk through the town, presumably towards the marketplace, or a clothing store or wherever they were headed.

Alex had started working at the restaurant after expressing her desire to help Ririka in order to pay her back. Ririka was happy to oblige, giving her tasks that were equal with her health. At first she'd done dishes, then sweeping, laundry, and the list of chores she'd gotten generally kept her busy. And thankfully they never took her in front of people.

Of course, Alex still had no idea what the hell anyone was really saying, so she just enjoys the sun and her company.

The clothing in her bag (the ones that she always used to wear in her dreams) were too eye-catching for her to wear in public. The wage that Alex had been given (after Alex had insisted she start as a worker for Ririka in order to pay for her own bills) had been dwindled down from this month's bills.

Of course, Alex still had a lot of money left over - twenty thousand Beri if she had heard Ririka right. At first she'd panicked before realizing that it was probably the equivalent of Japanese Yen in this world, so she'd calmed down.

Having learned she was in the One Piece world had definitely not been a very pretty experience for her - a mental breakdown had, of course, ensued.

Alex shakes her head, not wanting to relive that particular experience due to the extreme embarrassment of the situation.

Rika says something next to her, snapping out of her thoughts.

"What - er... _What_?" Alex says slowly, looking back down at Rika.

She only knew a few words in... 'Eastern' as they call it, so it was hard to understand anything really.

Rika simply points to the ice cream stall across the way, and Alex attempts to tell her no, to which Rika simply gives her the puppy eyes, then Alex can't refuse her.

It's going to be a long day.

* * *

 **.cake:**

Oh, no I know you were just asking questions! I just tend to come off as rude, and I don't mean to.

I love questions and responding to them! And you're quite welcome dear!

 **My question to you all:**

What kind of ship would you want to see if I eventually do one?

alright, have a good day/night everyone!

* * *

 **AN:**

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC and original plot!

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

Alex sighs deeply as she walks back to the restaurant, knowing that Ririka will more than likely scold her for the hyper-active seven year old at her side.

She swears Rika didn't have that much candy!

Okay, maybe she had, but what else was Alex supposed to do? The little girl lost her father and had the cutest goddamn puppy eyes she'd ever seen!

Rika is darting ahead of her, the bag in her arms full of toys that Alex had used her wages to buy the girl, as Alex did not want to face Ririka with toys bought without her permission.

Alex herself was laden down with bags upon bags of clothing and various things she had bought with her own money as well - she just put on the whole 'Poor defenseless child from the Western Blue' act, and nearly everyone was quick to appease her.

Admittedly she did feel a bit guilty over the whole ordeal, but in no way was she ready to pay... actually she didn't actually know what the monetary value of anything she'd gotten was - she just knew that Ririka had given her a stack of cash held with a red rubber band that was her own wages, and then a stack of money with a green rubber band for supplies for the restaurant and the inn above it.

The supplies that Alex was currently pushing in front of her using some sort of wheel-barrow cart thing.

Alex actually hadn't spent anything over her spending limit, which was pretty good considering Alex was shit with money usually.

When Alex gets home - home...? When had she started calling this place her home?

Shells City wasn't her home, her home was on Earth, in Washington in the sburbs with her father and brother. Shells City, with all of the kind people and Ririka and Rika, wasn't her home. One day she was going to go back, no matter what, and she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Oh oops, she got sidetracked again.

Ririka smiles at her as she enters the restaurant, and Alex smiles back, nodding slightly. She takes the groceries into the kitchen, and the rest of the supplies she takes upstairs.

Her body moves on autopilot as she starts cleaning as she looses herself in her thoughts.

* * *

 _"Come on, you aren't giving up now are you? We're so close Alex! I can practically taste the end of these trials!"_

 _"I'm not giving up! I just need a minute is all..."_

 _Lena sighs at her, plopping down next to her on the log they're now both sitting on._

 _Alex takes a moment to look Lena over - the girl had been protecting her since they'd found each other in these trials._

 _Lena's dark skin is criss-crossed with cuts that match Alex's own, the damned plant that had tried to eat them had definitely not been playing around that way. There are leaves in Lena's hair, and she attempts to brush them away. Alex slowly reaches up and pulls some of the leaves away before letting them fall to the ground, looking away from Lena._

 _"I'm sorry..." Alex mumbles, not daring to look at the girl next to her._

 _There's a chuckle from her side, and suddenly she's being wrapped in a hug._

 _"God you're so damn adorable!" Lena squeals, hugging Alex while laughing._

 _Alex makes a slight yipping noise in protest, but eventually starts laughing too. She missed these days, the ones where Lena was laughing and smiling and -_

* * *

"Alex!" Ririka says, shaking her.

"Ah w-what?" Alex says, startled by the sudden presence of another person.

"You done cleaning." Ririka says slowly, looking for the right words. " _You can be done cleaning."_ She repeats, this time in 'Eastern', which Alex attempts to copy, and does fairly well.

Every day is like this - Ririka will say a phrase to Alex, then repeat it in Japanese, which Alex will then copy.

Alex nods as Ririka smiles and helps her start to put the cleaning supplies away.

Even through the rest of the day, the image of a bright smile and the sound of a hearty laugh never leave Alex's mind.

* * *

AN: Ahhhh I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I'll be posting another one tonight as well (which will may or may not be short as well, it depends), that way I can post a longer chapter tomorrow (hopefully)

I will not be posting a chapter on Sunday however, because I won't have internet access, but i will have chapters being written!

I'm going to give a warning for the next couple of chapters after this one - shit is about to go down. (or is it?)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own OC and plot!

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

Alex isn't sure how late it is - time has been strange for her, moving too fast or too slow, and she can barely keep track of the days.

The only way she even can figure out the date is by writing a journal entry every day, asking Ririka the date each time she does.

It's off putting - to know that the years are different than the ones from Earth, that while the date may remain consistent, the years do not. Or do the days remain consistent? Alex had no way of making a comparison, and the only way she could even compare was the time she'd been in this world during and after the trials.

It had been roughly six months since she'd entered the trials - and won.

But Alex would not think on that, she wouldn't cast herself back into those days.

So she remains focused on the egg in her arms, all of the questions in her head, and the instinctual answers that lay there with every breath and thought that centered around it.

This small egg in her arms was her entire universe, the entire pull and sway of everything she held dear. It - no, he (the egg was male, if she was certain of only one thing it was that) was her everything. From the instant she had caught him in her arms, she had felt the thread of her heart wrap tightly around the small egg, tying him to her eternally.

She would protect this egg with her life, and she would raise her familiar with love and compassion.

She wonders what he will look like, even though she knows that is the one question her familiar cannot answer her, even from within his egg.

She thinks of all of the stories she would one day tell him, all of the wonderful things she would get to show him when he hatches, and how much she wants him to see the outside world.

He seems excited to experience everything - she can tell by the way excitement builds within herself.

Alex decides that sleep is for the best - Ririka had granted her a day off tomorrow, and she had every intent on going to the beach to soak up some sun and warmth. After all, if she was going to be in this world for awhile, she may as well enjoy it.

So Alex slowly crawls under the covers of her bed, her egg cradled in her arms as she slowly drifts into slumber.

Tomorrow would be a good day, she could feel it.

AN: Well, it looks like it's time for another Review Corner!

I had a lot to say with this one (unexpectedly actually - I just started responding and it flew out of my brain) and felt bad about putting it in an actual chapter. So it's gonna be in another Review Corner!

I also feel bad about saying I was going to update on saturday or later on friday night (*coughitwasthreeinthemorningcough*) and then not updating. I was busy though.

So another chapter will likely be up soon (probably today), I just wasn't sure how to approach the chapter I'm doing, or what kind of route i was gonna take - like, do I have Alex go through her old shit? Do I have her finally be approached by Helmeppo? (She has actually managed to stay away from him accidentally, so they haven't argued yet.) Do I have her be approached by Demon Bitch? Who knows?

So yeah I actually figured out what I was gonna do for the chapter, and I'll be writing it directly after this.

I'll actually remember to ask a question at the end of this review corner.

* * *

 **TheChildGrim:**

Oh god you are a goddess. All of the gold stars go to you. All of them.

Sorry it took so long to get here and post but being busy sucks and I had events.

Anyway onto the questions!

 **1)** What Pace will you go at?

I will likely continue atat this pace of a chapter a day, however i wont be rushing the storyline. I'll write until i can close a chapter well enough, then post it. This introductory book is fast paced due to Alex's sense of time being off.

The reasoning for this is that this is a symptom of Deppression, which Alex (and myself), uunfortunately has. Alex has a very delicate emotional state and has minor depression and PTSD, though she manages to mostly hide it from others and partially from herself.

She will eventually recover, and by the time book 2 rolls around (book 2 will be when it will become extremely noticeable.

The other reason is that this fic is not only one i intend to finish, but also a sort of way for me to better my writing. I suck at intros, often throwing myself into canon far too quickly for people to get attached. So what better way to practice than to make an entire book of an intro?

 **2)** is Zoro next or a confrontation with Helmeppo?

I cannot really confirm anything, but this book takes place two years before canon events. So a confrontation between Alex and Helmeppo is inevitable, however we won't see it in this book. Not fully at leleast, considering Alex doesn't speak "Eastern" or rather, Japanese.

So at the most there will be a conflict that will be mostly glaring and bullshitting, but mostly in English and Japanese, while the other doesn't understand the others language.

 **3)** How will the books be separated?

Well, it really depends on what i feel is best for the book! Book two will cover the start of Canon events (Zoro entering Shells City will be chapter 1), and will cover up until they enter the grand Line!

Like, I have a whole book dedicated to the time skip, and another dedicated to a non-canon arc post timeskip that will likely torture all of you and make you cry due to the fact that you will be attached to Alex by then.

 **4)** I wish this was like AO3

Oh god i know bruh, but I'll be posting a note on here to let you know the title of the next book when it comes to that. And the I'll update the note as needed whenever the new book comes out (I'll do this for all my books dont worry)

(Also for anyone who doesn't know, AO3 stands for Archive of our Own, a fanfiction site that I actually do have an account on, I just don't update there very often.)

 **5)** Is Alex going to fight those with those juggle things?

Im assuming you mean Juggling Clubs, and yes she will! That will actually be covered within the next few chapters, so i feel no guilt in addmitting that

 **6)** Could I give you a description?

Im not entirely sure what you mean for, but i have some older versions of Alex on my art blog on tumblr

Im timeshenanigansart if you wanna check it out

Ignore all the homestuck and personal shit on there lol

* * *

End AN:

Welp, now that the review corner is over, I'll be moving on to start writing the new chapter!

My question to you:

What kind of familiar do you think Alex will have?

* * *

AN: This chapter's a tad shorter than usual - 407 words pre-author's note to be precise.

I wanted to leave it on kinda a cliff hanger again, like i usually do.

The next chapter might come later today, or at eight in the morning tomorrow.

So yeah.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC and my original plot!

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

Never in Alex's eighteen years of life had she been so incredibly wrong about her prediction of the next events to come.

Her breath comes in short gasps as she raises her weapons above her head, blocking a sword strike that came from overhead. The pressure of the blade nearly causes her arms to buckle, but the adrenaline pumping through her system manages to keep her arms steady.

She pushes outwards with both arms, flinging her opponent across the makeshift arena of sorts.

Her left eye is shut tightly to ward away the blood seeping down her face. The bitch had cut a deep gash in her forehead, and the amount of blood seeping down her face was starting to worry Alex.

She had to end this fight now.

* * *

Alex smiles at the egg in her arms as she sits on the beach - she'd been awarded the day off by Ririka, and she'd obviously decided to spend it at the beach.

Just like in her dreams, she's sitting on the beach in a half shirt and a pair of swimming trunks, the waves lapping at her ankles as she leans back on her arms.

There was nothing better than this.

There's a twinge in her chest as she sits there, looking out into the ocean.

"I wonder if Lena would have liked to sit like this." Alex says, more than asks to herself.

She knows the answer to that.

Lena would have adored this kind of time - sitting on the beach with her, talking about all the stupid shit they used to talk about. She would have sat there next to her, probably in some sort of bikini, and they would have just relaxed and talked.

Alex would make some sort of stupid ass pun that involved her name, and Lena would have hit her on the back of the head while laughing, telling her that was the lamest excuse of a pun she'd ever heard.

Then she'd make one of her own, her lips curled into that heart-melting smile of hers.

Alex wipes the tears from her eyes, shutting that train of thought down immediately.

She would not dwell on the past - she _couldn't_ dwell on it.

"Heh. Reminiscing already kid?"

Alex had never gotten to her feet and spun around as fast as she did.

Standing there, in all her bitchy glory, was Sakura, the Demon Bitch.

* * *

AN: Jeez, this chapter just flew from my hands.

I also forgot to mention last chapter, or the one before it, but we're about halfway through this book!

Pretty impressive if I do say so myself.

I'll let you guys know that the final chapter of this book will be the longest I've written for this fic, so yeah. It'll also end with Alex's familiar hatching.

Also - just to clarify - Alex only refers to Sakura as "Demon Bitch" when she's okay with her. It's like a term of endearment.

Anyway, onto the story!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC and original plot!

* * *

 **Cyannel:**

1) Huehuehue, that's a good guess, and you've guessed somewhat correctly!

So I'll give you this - Alex's familiar will be associated with flight.

I'll also give you another hint - Alex's familiar might be from a different fandom, or he could be a regular animal.

Who knows?

2) Haha, it's not exactly her first choice, but we'll cover that in later chapters.

3) thank you very much for the compliment!

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

Alex couldn't believe not only her eyes but her ears.

The Demon Bitch couldn't be here, in front of her, because she'd gotten rid of her months (years...? No, it had been only three months at best) ago.

Back in the trials, when she'd passed, the Demon Bitch had given her a familiar and basically said 'Good Luck you're on your own now!'.

Before even having realized it, she was nearly ten feet away, egg carefully balanced on her hip using a single hand to balance it there. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her teeth were bared in a feral snarl.

The Demon Bitch smirked and was... _gone_.

Then the only feeling that Alex could register was pain as she slammed and skidded across the sandy beach. She almost felt like the sand was the water of a lake and she was a skipping stone.

The next feeling to register through the pain was panic.

Her egg was not in her arms.

A frantic look around her proved useless until she glanced upwards, towards D.B.

Her egg was in Sakura's arms.

A feeling rose up inside of Alex, and she lost all control of her body.

She wasn't in control anymore - some feral _thing,_ some sort of instinct reared it's ugly head, and assumed control of her body. There was only faint feeling in her limbs, as though she was feeling things like they were feathers against her skin, or slight pressure.

Her sight blurred and the next thing she knew, her fist was flying towards Sakura's face, a feral roar exploding from her mouth and all semblance of control was eradicated.

Sakura simply smiled, slamming her fist into Alex's face, knocking her to the ground.

"You need to learn how to fight kid." Sakura snorted, looking down at Alex with a face full of disgust.

The egg was suddenly gone from her arms, and in place of it were two clubs.

Alex panicked - _where the_ ** _fuck_ **_was her egg?_

Sakura smiled at her, a condescending smile that made her skin hot with fury.

"Don't worry little one, your egg is safe - I've...taken it, for safe keeping." Sakura smirked at Alex before tossing the two juggling clubs at her. "Take these, you'll be fighting me."

Alex stood, but took a moment to examine the clubs in her hands.

The clubs were identical in every way - the same weight distribution, the coloring, and they were both made of steel. The handle was plain, but the club itself was a deep maroon with a stripe of white in the middle.

Alex took a quick testing swing, and decided these were definitely not her choice of weaponry, but before she could say a word of it to Sakura, she heard the whooshing of a blade coming straight for her.

Instinctively, Alex brought her clubs up and blocked the swing meant for her head.

Her arms ached under the pressure, but she kept steady - she would win her egg back from this bitch, and she was going to kick this Demon Bitch's ass in the process.

* * *

N: another

in a day?

spooky

no but seriously i finished this up and i figured it's time to post before i lose internet access

disclaimer: i own nothin but my own shit

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

Alex grunted in pain as a sword hilt slammed into her side, biting her lip until it bled to keep from crying out in pain.

She wouldn't give Sakura the satisfaction of hearing her in pain.

A sword strike came overhead and Alex brought one arm up to block it, the other swung shortly into Sakura's side, and Alex nearly cheered in joy. That was the first hit she'd landed, and she was proud of it.

The start of the fight had been rough - she'd had to wrack her brain for any sort of information she could remember on juggling, or on fighting for that matter.

Thankfully she'd remembered that viewing your weapon as an extension of yourself was the best thing to do, as you moved more fluidly that way.

Alex yelped in pain as Sakura slammed her fist into Alex's nose, probably breaking it.

Her breath comes in short gasps as she raises her weapons above her head, blocking a sword strike that came from overhead. The pressure of the blade nearly causes her arms to buckle, but the adrenaline pumping through her system manages to keep her arms steady.

She pushes outwards with both arms, flinging her opponent across the makeshift arena of sorts.

Her left eye is shut tightly to ward away the blood seeping down her face. The bitch had cut a deep gash in her forehead, and the amount of blood seeping down her face was starting to worry Alex.

She had to end this fight.

She feinted an overhead strike, and slammed her foot into Sakura's abdomen, enough to knock her down.

Sakura stood up with a smile, a genuine one this time, but Alex couldn't care less. She wanted her egg.

"Good job kid. Put some training towards those clubs of yours and you might be strong enough to put up a real fight next time."

"My egg. Now." Alex growls, her hands held out.

Sakura smiles and steps forward, placing her hands on Alex's face and snapping her nose to the side, resetting it.

Alex was caught off guard, and she yelped loudly, her hands flying to her face.

Before she knew it, Alex was (mostly) healed.

"In reward for managing to somewhat win in a fight against me, I've sped up your healing process. and here..." Alex's egg suddenly appeared in Sakura's hands, and Alex snatched it from her. "Is your egg." Sakura finished.

Sakura snorted at Alex's desperation, and rolled her eyes.

"Here, take this." She said, handing Alex a letter with careful handwriting on it. "Inside there is some important information, as well as a training regimine. If you follow it as instructed you'll grow stronger."

Alex nodded once, not saying a word to this demon bitch.

Sakura snorted again, before turning around and walking away. Alex blinked, and she was gone.

"Well, that was... an adventure." Alex mumbled to herself. "But, I sure am glad to have you back buddy."

Alex smiled at the egg in her arms, and decided that the feelings were mutual.

Then came the next part.

How to explain all of this blood to Ririka.

* * *

 **AN:** This chapter is looked a little short to me, but I needed a transition into the next chapter, and into the next mini-arc type deal.

So yeah.

Blanke-Slate: Ahhh thanks for the compliment! I felt like there needed to be a lot more Genderfluid OCs, as someone who is, in fact, Genderfluid myself. So I knew I'd be making a Genderfluid OC as soon as I started writing.

Disclaimer: I own p much nothing but my own shit

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen**

Alex woke early that morning, exactly ten days after her fight with Sakura.

She had been counting the days since their fight, as though it would help her in some sort of way.

She quickly dressed in her training outfit - a pair of loose black pants and a simple shirt white shirt that was almost like a tank top. Her shoes were quickly slipped onto her feet, and her egg slipped into the make-shift "child carrier" she'd made out of an old ripped up shirt.

Ririka was waiting for her in the kitchen, and she smiled.

"Leaving already?" She asked, and Alex nodded yes in reply, grabbing part of a loaf of bread before heading out the door, mumbling a quick reply.

Gods she was tired.

Alex didn't let it deter her, however, and began jogging down the street, waving at the occasional Marine that passed by, and they smiled and waved at her back, or in some cases, they simply nodded.

Her route today consisted of a jog around the town, in a pattern of jogging down the street, running down the next, sprinting down the one after that, then walking a full street before repeating the cycle. By the time she'd completed a single cycle her chest burned and her muscles ached.

She still couldn't complete more than two cycles yet, but she'd been able to get a little farther every day, and her legs burned a little less each time.

"Fuuuucckkkkk." She hissed under her breath as she realized the exercise that came next.

She jogged down to the beach, finding her normal training area and beginning to do push ups - a full hundred. Then she'd move on to sit-ups, doing the same number of them, then she'd to shadow movements - fifty for each limb, totaling a hundred for each type.

Soon enough the sun was starting to rise, and Alex had to get home to help Ririka serve the morning crowd.

Ugh she was going to have to jog again, wasn't she?

* * *

Alex smiled widely as she took the orders of the morning crowd - after nearly four months, she'd gotten used to the noise, and was able to take orders. Well, Ririka had finally helped her learn enough 'Eastern' to get the basics of what the customers were saying.

She smiled at the man in front of her - he was like a grandpa, and usually when it was lunch time, he'd come back and tell her stories during her lunch break.

and sometimes he had candy.

Alex smiled and took his order - he always ordered the same eggs, toast, and bacon meal every morning, then he'd order something random at lunch, and then he'd get rice with chicken at dinner. It was always the same, and Alex definitely appreciated that, even if she wasn't sure if he was just doing it to help her out.

Once she was done she smiled and went to the kitchen, handing Ririka the orders.

Then, almost immediately, there was an influx of customers.

Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

AN: This chapter's a little longer than usual, because I just couldn't really stop writing it.

It's currently at 914 words, pre-AN.

I also can't believe I've already come this far with this fic - most of my fics don't make it past the tenth chapter.

We've got roughly five chapters left, maybe a couple more. I'm definitely not going under twenty chapters of content, so yeah.

I really don't like Helmeppo pre-everything. In fact, I don't think anyone does.

Anyway

I just can't believe I've gotten this far already, even if the chapters are short.

Thank you guys for reading and everyone who's favorited or followed or reviewed or just keeps the story bookmarked or whatever. You guys are the shit.

disclaimer: I only own my own shit

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen**

Alex sighed deeply and sat heavily in a chair after she'd cleaned up for the night.

It had been a long day, and she wasn't entirely sure how Ririka could do this on her own so often. She must have the stamina and strength of a god!

Ughh she hadn't even completed her evening run yettttt.

There was a tinkling of a bell that signified the opening of the door.

Alex looked up to see the person who was quite possibly one of the stupidist characters in One Piece - Helmeppo, in all his violet-suited glory.

Oh great.

He said something in Eastern, most of which she couldn't catch, but Ririka came over, and went to take his order. It confused Alex for a moment - Ririka didn't need to wait on this kid hand and foot - before she remembered that Helmeppo was the son of the... Marine Captain..? of the base here in Shells City.

Alex still didn't like it, especially when she had to retreat into the kitchen when Ririka gave her a startlingly scary look. She began to wash the dishes as Ririka cooked Helmeppo his food, and was startled when Ririka tapped her on the shoulder.

"Here, " She said gently, wiping Alex's hands off with a nearby towel before handing her the plate covered in food. "Helmeppo wants you to serve him."

"Wh- What?"

"He wants to see the... new waiter?" Ririka said, pausing slightly when trying to think of the words.

Alex nodded once as Ririka looked her in the eyes, practically begging her not to say anything. She slowly walked out of the kitchen, and towards Helmeppo, careful not to spill the dish.

" _So you're the new waiter?"_ Helmeppo said, and Alex frowned, trying to translate most of what he had said in her head.

 _"Yes."_ She said, nodding once before setting the plate down.

Alex looked up to see him... oh god was he checking her out?!

 _"Hey! Eyes up here!"_ She growled, startling Helmeppo. Thank god she'd asked Ririka how to say shit like this.

Helmeppo sputtered for a moment, before growing angry. Wow, what a baby.

" _How can you be so rude? Do you know who I am?!"_ He half-shrieked half-asked.

 _"Yeah, you're a... baby... who... relies on... his daddy's... strength."_ She growled back at him, having to pause every so often to try and remember the proper words.

Alex felt a hot wash of embarassment wash over her due to her poor language skills, but pushed it down. She settled on a screech inside of her head, mentally berating herself for not being able to properly have a comeback.

Helmeppo spluttered as his face turned bright red, and the two men behind him - two Marines I'd seen while jogging past the base - were desperately attempting to hide their laughter. Their shoulders shook and their faces began to slowly turn red as they attempted to stand stock still.

Alex smirked and crossed her arms, cocking one hip to her side.

" _My daddy will hear about this!"_ Helmeppo shouted, and Alex raised one eyebrow. _"He's a marine captain!"_

Alex slammed her palm down onto the table, getting in Helmeppo's face, her teeth bared and eyes wide in fury.

 _"Oh? My Mother is a Marine Captain on the_ _ **Grand Line**_ _."_ Alex growled in his face, one hand bunched in the cloth of his shirt. _"Captain Sakura Keeper."_

Helmeppo's face went pale, and his mouth opened and closed like a fish.

 _'Well at least I know that Sakura's information is good enough that I can fake this at least.'_ Alex thought to herself, grimacing in her head. She'd have to keep bullshitting her way out of this.

 _"I'm sure.. Mother...won't mind...coming here."_ She grinned, letting Helmeppo's shirt go. _"But I wasn't... raised a.. brat, and I don't... rely on someone... else to fight... my battles. Now get... out of here."_

Helmeppo scrambled away, shouting something over his shoulder as the one of the Marine officers grinned at her, nodding his head before composing himself to run out the door with the other.

She turned around to see Ririka there, staring at her with a mix of expressions.

Oh gods, was that fear in her eyes?

"I didn't know that your mother was a Marine Captain." Were the first words to come from Ririka's mouth.

Alex sighed and shook her head, sitting heavily in a chair and eating the food Helmeppo hadn't even touched.

"I'm not," Alex replied, shaking her head. "She's more of a step-sister, but legally she was my guardian for a time."

It wasn't a lie - Sakura was like some sort of asshole older step-sister who cared for her but in a bullshit way. And Sakura had been her guardian for a time - legally or no, she'd been her 'Sponsor' once upon a time.

Alex shook her head of the thoughts, taking a bite of the chicken.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ririka asked, and Alex shook her head once again.

"Didn't want to worry you." Alex responded, not looking at Ririka. "I mean, it's not like I knew her much."

Before Alex could even finish her explanation, Ririka had pulled her from her chair and was hugging her tightly. A couple of tears sprung to Alex's eyes, but she bit her bottom lip to keep them from falling.

"Oh you silly silly girl." Ririka mumbled and Alex wasn't sure if she'd ever felt this...safe? Yeah, that's the word.

Safe.

* * *

AN:

I can't stop listening to the Song from the Newest Steven Universe episode wowy wow i love Garnet so damn muchhhhh

This chapter is actually longer than my usual five hundred words - sitting at roughly six hundred and three (I have queues in my draft portion like [Line Break] and [Italics] so that way I remember to put them in later if it doesn't copy properly. So if you ever see them in a newly posted chapter, and then come back and it's gone, that'd be why.

Also - I realized I'd forgotten to mention one of Alex's biggest quirks of her personality throughout this entire fic. I feel ashamed. (Jk i just didn't see too much of a need). I'll have more comments on this at the bottom of the chapter, so that way I don't spoil anything.

Yeesh guys! I've hit over a thousand views to this little slice of fanfiction! It's astounding, it really is.

I can't believe it, and i can't believe the fact that I've gotten such great feedback, or the fact that this book will be over in four chapters!

I just... I can't believe it.

I'll have more later.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except for what is. Yes.

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen**

Alex was afraid.

She had never been this afraid in all her eighteen (or was she nineteen now? The Date still slipped past her) years of life.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest, thumping so loudly she was almost certain that someone would hear it. Her breath came in short, strained gasps between her fingers as her hands pressed tightly against her mouth. Panic surged within her and she felt as though she couldn't breathe.

Her current location was only helping slightly, the small cramped space that she'd climbed into gave her a slight sense of security - there was only one point that anyone could enter through, and there was no space for anyone else in her own space.

Strangely enough, Alex had always liked smaller spaces, cramped yet wide enough for her not to grow stiff-limbed and hit her head constantly. These small spaces gave her a sense of security despite providing little to no actual help. But normally she just hid in cabinets.

Alex bit back a sob of fear as shouting grew near her and she placed her hands on the sides of her head.

This was too much, she was too terribly afraid and _oh gods they're getting closer nonononononononononono_ -

* * *

Alex gasped for air desperately, throwing herself upwards as she woke from her nightmare, her head slamming into the 'ceiling' of her little space.

Quite a few expletives were shouted upon her forehead coming into contact with the hard wood, though she was able to simply hiss most of them under her breath before climbing out of her small sleeping quarters.

Ririka had gotten slightly angry with her upon Alex's first night sleeping in her small enclosed cabinet of a space, though she had incredibly softened when Alex explained the methods of her madness.

And so, Alex had begun to finally sleep peacefully.

Well, typically she did.

Nightmares still plagued her sleep, haunting her with visions of the past, fear and pain entwined and mixed within her.

"Well, if I'm in a brooding mood, I may as well get my anime protagonist on..." Alex muttered to herself, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and gently tucking her egg within the still warm blankets of her sleeping space.

She opened the window of her room and clambered out onto the roof with her top notch climbing skills.

Which meant that she nearly fell three times.

Oh yeah, she was the best at this.

Alex sighed and leaned back on the roof, basking in the night air, strangely cool for Summer, though she wasn't entirely sure what kind of island Shells city was. Or even if these were the type of islands like on the Grand Line, with different Climate Zones with every island.

A memory nudged at the edge of her mind, one of a late evening, when she and Lena had still been together.

There was only the icy coldness of the Desert Night, and even though they'd found shelter, and built a fire from the meager supplies they had, there was little to no warmth. She was shivering inside her sleeping bag, barely conscious, but the cold keeping her awake, but barely. Then there was rustling, and then movement and suddenly she was warm and she felt safe.

Alex shook the memory from her mind - there was no reason for her to stay focused on any of those memories from...then.

Lena was long gone, and she would never see her again.

That was that.

Alex bit her lip, and if anyone had seen her that night, she had most certainly not been crying.

* * *

End AN:

Like I said, I haven't mentioned the whole "Alex likes to sleep in enclosed spaces" deal. If you're wondering what that's about, it's because she feels safest when she can be in control of a space that is all her own. One that she can easily defend, with only enough space for one person entering at a time, which leaves room for retaliation should someone enter her space.

This is, of course, another exposition-heavy chapter, but that's what this book is for after all!

Admittedly I need a leeway for the next for chapters because...well, shit is actually going to go down. and not the "Oh scuffle with Helmeppo" type Shit, but like, grade A, festering cow shit. Like damn that's really rotten and bad kinda shit.

Sorry for that analogy tbh.

Anyway, yeah. Guess we get to find out what Alex's Familiar is during the last chapter!

I might split the 20th chapter into two parts, that way I can leave it kinda heavy and dramatic like "Alex held her new familiar in her hands, and all was right."

Actually no that's not a good idea. nvm.

I mean it could be but not for the way I'm writing it.

ooop i ranted again.

Anyway, after the last chapter there will be an almost two year time skip, and will skip to canon events.

This is gonna be hella.

Yes.

Oh fuck i just realized I spent like four hundred words on just authors notes gdi why do i do this.

See you guys next chapter.

* * *

 **AN:** This chapter is incredibly short, and I do apologize for that, but hopefully the fact that I had two longer chapters yesterday it'll make up for it?

Yeah prolly not.

I wasn't exactly sure how to start this chapter to be perfectly honest, but oh well.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC and original shit

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen**

There was a certain appeal to the mindlessness of training, she thought.

The way that you could endlessly loose yourself in the repetitive movements as you slowly yet surely worked your body to its limits. Loose yourself in the numbers, or just repeat the same movements over and over until you could no longer do so.

Running was easy to loose herself in - she hadn't always been able to run this well however. But she had grown to know the twists and turns of the roads here in Shells City. Every day she would run mindlessly up and down the roads, along the beach, and over and over again until her body gave out.

It was easy to loose herself, easy to let herself feel only the lack of air and burning muscles instead of anything else.

It was even easier to pretend there was nothing wrong.

Training was hard, at first, because when she first started, she'd been weaker, her muscles not as developed. Then, she had slowly grown to handle the training with ease, and started to begin pushing herself.

The exercises began to grow more and more challenging, more creative in ways for her to train, and more repetitions increased the difficulty of the exercises.

Shadow swings and juggling practice were definitely huge parts of her training. In fact, she'd progressed far enough in the couple of months since she'd started training that she no longer hit herself in the head with a club while juggling. It was pretty impressive, actually. Not the fact that she'd learned to not hit herself, but rather that she'd managed to hit herself once every practice.

Alex was nowhere near ready to get in actual fights yet - she was still weak.

But as she looked out on the distance, seeing a fleet of pirate ships sailing towards the island, Alex couldn't help but think of the line that everyone always would say when starting a game of hide and seek as the seeker.

"Ready or not, here we come."

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

Alex had almost expected a terror-induced widespread panic on the island.

When she had ran back to town, breathlessly telling Ririka of the pirates, Ririka had simply waved her off and gone down to tell the Marines, who had quickly set out to deal with the problem. Ririka was calm, and simply kept making food and serving customers until the Marines told everyone to retreat to their homes.

Although Alex's initial panic and fear had fled, she still felt fear slowly curling itself within her. There was no way she could deal with pirates in a fight, and if pirates came into her home with malevolent intent, she was most certainly going to fight them.

Eventually, Alex had calmed herself.

Until the screams began.

Almost immediately Ririka bolted into the room with Rika, forcing Rika to hide in the cupboard where Alex slept.

"Quick - close everything!" Ririka hissed to her, her eyes wide and hands shaking.

Alex almost felt like crying as she quickly, yet gently closed the window and helped Ririka barricade the door.

Once that was done, Alex did the next best thing she knew how to do.

She donned her fingerless gloves, and took up her arms.

Alex sat there, crouched next to the door, her clubs in hand and her heart pounding wildly in her ears, wondering if she was going to make it out alive. Ririka had climbed into the cabinet with Rika (upon Alex's insistence), so Alex didn't even have the comfort of her.

Her heart was racing, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she crouched there, waiting for anyone - any _thing_ to bust through the door or window.

The sound of glass shattering from downstairs made Alex jolt, her hands gripping the clubs tighter and sending her out of her crouch. Alex took a deep, steadying breath and crouched again - she needed to be ready for an attack.

She silently thanked Sakura for giving her some pointers when ambushed, or participating in an ambush (she hadn't been all that thankful then, but she sure as hell was now).

To keep herself calm, Alex began counting in her head, adjusting her breathing pattern to inhale deeply for seven seconds, then exhale for eleven.

Alex had to bite her lip to keep from screaming and or screaming an expletive at the sight of a sword chopping through the door.

Dear lord she was going to have a heart attack before this day was over.

* * *

AN: guys I'm starting to get emotional all up in here.

This is our second to last chapter of this book, and I can't believe it!

Anyway, this chapter is 1,094 words, so enjoy!

The next chapter will be the last, and it'll be the longest chapter so far, probably going to be 3k words or more!

So obviously it won't be out for a couple or more days.

Anyway, I don't own anything but my own shit!

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen**

Panic surged through Alex as the door was pushed open, revealing a tall and lanky pirate with a bandanna tied around his head. The man's eye that was closest to Alex was covered by the bandanna, and she had no doubt in her mind he couldn't see her.

A flood of pure panic surged through Alex, pure survival instinct kicked in, and she dropped one club on the floor. The other club she grasped tightly as though it was a baseball bat, and slammed it into the man's face. The man flew back into the hallway, a combination of Alex's adrenaline and strength mingling with his surprise to do so.

"Holy shit." She whispered to herself, looking down at the clubs in her hands. "I'm a boss ass bitch."

Of course, the song from her home played over and over again in her head as she stood there, before remembering the pirate that was in the hallway.

Alex quickly picked her weapon from the ground and darted into the hallway, looking at the man.

His face was caved in partially, and Alex nearly threw up at the sight, but grit her teeth and didn't focus on it. The man let out a choked sound of gurgling pain and what sounded like a scream before either going unconscious or dying.

Alex didn't stay to find out.

Before she knew it she was flying down the stairs towards another pirate that had heard the loud cracking sound, and came to see what had happened.

Once again, this man was caught off guard, but he was much more skilled than his companion had been. The pirate brought his sword up, blocking Alex's clubs as she rammed into him, making the two skid right into the wall.

Alex used the space she had as an asset, using a combination of different moves to confuse the man.

An overhead strike with one club was combined with a stab from the other to catch the man off guard. Alex stared straight into his eyes (unless he looked away - this man was no swordsman, or even a skilled fighter by any means) as they fought, not daring to look away.

The pirate was the first to look away, and she saw fear in his eyes, along with panic as he realized he couldn't keep up.

Her club slammed into his ribs, and he coughed up blood as she brought the club down with just enough restraint that it knocked him out.

If she could turn these pirates in, maybe she'd get some money.

Wow this world was fucking her up.

Alex shook the thought from her head, and took deep calming breaths as she climbed up the stairs, dragging the (hopefully) not dead pirate she'd first fought down to the other. She picked the other one up as well, and left them at the bottom of the stairs for a moment.

She slowly scouted the rest of the bar, and came to the conclusion that there were no longer any pirates left inside.

Alex decided it would be in her best interest to look out the window and check to see if any pirates were left in town, or if the Marines had caught the tactical error they'd made. She pushed the curtain to the side, looking out with a frown.

There weren't many pirates in the street, but she could see a house on fire in the distance, and she prayed to whatever god might be there that no one was in it.

Alex realized that really, she had two choices at this point in time.

One, she stayed in here and waited for the pirates to pass, protecting Ririka and Rika from possibly no threat if the pirates didn't come in again.

Option two was that she go out there, kick some pirate ass, and attempt to keep the pirates at bay while the Marines got their shit together.

Alex groaned and ran her hands over her face before running upstairs and telling Ririka to stay safe and scream for her if she was in trouble.

Alex didn't wait for a reply.

With a deep sigh Alex threw the door open, realizing it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Alex was afraid.

She had never been this afraid in all her eighteen (or was she nineteen now? The Date still slipped past her) years of life.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest, thumping so loudly she was almost certain that someone would hear it. Her breath came in short, strained gasps between her fingers as her hands pressed tightly against her mouth. Panic surged within her and she felt as though she couldn't breathe.

Her current location was only helping slightly, the small cramped space that she'd climbed into gave her a slight sense of security - there was only one point that anyone could enter through, and there was no space for anyone else in her own space.

Strangely enough, Alex had always liked smaller spaces, cramped yet wide enough for her not to grow stiff-limbed and hit her head constantly. These small spaces gave her a sense of security despite providing little to no actual help. But normally she just hid in cabinets.

Alex bit back a sob of fear as shouting grew near her and she placed her hands on the sides of her head.

This was too much, she was too terribly afraid and _oh gods they're getting closer nonononononononononono_ -

A pirate appeared in front of Alex, and she slammed her club into his face, which he wasn't expecting fortunately.

Unfortunately, Alex had just trapped herself in a tight space with no way out other than to fight her way.

Her limbs were heavy and ached more than she'd ever felt them ache as she quickly threw herself from her hiding place. As soon as she hit the ground she was running, her legs pumping wildly and feet slapping against the sandy beach as she did so.

She'd managed to lure quite a few pirates from the town, but goddamnit she was an idiot. Of course they'd have a good fighter with them, of course Alex would be outnumbered, and of course she had ran.

Shouts echoed from behind her, and she began running faster, using up all of the energy she had left.

She was so screwed.

* * *

AN: Woop woop! I found out a way to upload from my phone (as long as im on incognito on google chrome, i can temporarily turn myself to tablet mode)

I will not upload long chapters from mobile tho bc glitch but anyway! I wanted to respond to reviews without having to push out another chapter bc the final chapter will be 3k words or so

Anyway lets get on with it.

* * *

 **Cyannel** :

Oh my gosh you are a goddesss

Also ye boss ass bitch is stuck in my head too iF I GO DOWN YOU ARE ALL COMING WITH ME

1) Thanks for telling me Alex's age! ( slash clearing it up? Cant remember the exact term rn oop)

No problem! I like to leave the age kinda blurred at first, so the readers have questions for later, and stay. Actually i do that with a lot of details.

Plus when is Alex going to give herself a random, long- ass description of herself? Idk i have a problem when writers do that in the characters head when its out of character.

2) Those pirates are stupid for attacking an isalnd with a marine base

Oh they definitely aren't stupid - but they are. I can't explain without giving any sort of info for future arcs away. You'll get more info on that in the next chapter, but vaguely, and then the only bits and itty bitty pieces of info will be in the next couple of books, before it becomes a bit bigger deal around Baroque Works Arc/ the tail end of it. No the Baroque Works are not involved with this incident.

3) Badass fights with clubsss

Haha hell yussss i love fights yusss

* * *

Sorry for any spelling errors btw, my phone doesnt catch them and i wanted to get this out soon

My question for this Review Corner:

Any sort of filler arcs you'd like to see?

like, not canon filler arcs, but ones i can write that would be cool? I wanna work some filler arcs in for Nakamaship stuff and i think thats the best way to do it.

* * *

AN: Well, this final chapter is 2,399 words pre-authors note.

I can't believe we're here, with me finally finishing a Fic for once.

Well, I'm finishing the first part of the fic but w/e

I won't be posting the next book quite yet - monday or tuesday will probably be when I do so, but I might post it tonight or tomorrow. It really just depends.

I'll make a note on this fic when it's done, and then regularly update the note to include the chronology of what's been posted.

Anyway, thank you all so much for supporting me this far!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty**

It wasn't hard for Alex to realize that she had passed out and (or) probably died.

She was in her dream land again, and she couldn't help but wonder if she would be staying here for good.

The waves lapped at her ankles and feet, and it seemed as though the ocean itself was asking if it could envelop her into oblivion.

Alex almost decided to oblige.

There was a sound, and Sakura was sitting next to her, though Alex couldn't care less.

She was too tired to care that Sakura had appeared and just sat next to her. She also felt a bit bad for Sakura. Alex tried to not be obvious as she looked Sakura over.

Sakura looked as though she'd just been in a fight with a truck and won. Her hair was down, though it was clumped together and matted with blood, sweat, and dirt. Her eye was swollen and blackened, her lip split and her clothes were ripped.

"You look like shit." Alex observed, looking away from Sakura. "Fight a semi truck?"

"Haha, very funny." Sakura retorted, but there was no hostility behind it. She just sounded tired. "I got my ass handed to me in a duel."

Alex nodded, looking out into the sea without a word.

They sat like that for a long while, neither of them saying a word.

Alex sighed and flopped backwards so she was laying down.

"Thanks, Sakura." She said slowly, and Sakura jumped a bit, before looking back at her in a shocked manner.

"W-What?"

"Thank you." Alex bit back the snarky tone she normally would have taken as she said it, since Sakura was hurt. "You taught me to fight, and it helped me out. Not sure if I died though."

Sakura sighed and laid back on the sand with her, her arms behind her head.

"Yeah, well you needed to learn to fight. I'm not exactly the most popular demon, and shit has been going down at home lately. Didn't want my first ward to die within her first year." Sakura explained, looking up at the sky overhead.

"Oh, I'm your first ward?" Alex said in a slightly teasing tone. "I must be special."

Sakura snorted and Alex laughed, enjoying the peacefulness of this time. She knew she and Sakura would soon be at each other's throats again, but the days that neither of them had the heart to annoy the shit out of each other were nice. Alex also decided to ignore the fact that Sakura was intentionally leaving information out.

For now.

"You didn't die." Sakura said suddenly, and Alex turned her head to look at the girl.

"Huh?"

"You said you weren't sure if you died." Sakura explained to her, eyes on the clouds above her. "I would have felt if you died, and you didn't. You are injured however. I went and checked on you before coming here - er, well your body anyway."

"So what happened then?"

"You were running and thankfully the Marines figured out that leaving the town unprotected was bad, so they sent some of their men (and women) to go back. A group of them saw you collapse, and they saved your ass. You're in the doctor's home right now, sleeping."

"That's good." Alex sighed, enjoying the fake sun on her skin.

"Mmhmm."

Once again, there was nothing but silence, and Alex couldn't help but smile.

Maybe things would work out.

* * *

Alex groaned as she woke, her head pounding and body aching. Oh, and she was hungry.

Starving, actually.

She slowly sat up, hands helping her and voices mingling as she attempted to properly wake up.

The room she was in was the doctor's - she'd been here before, and easily recognized the beige walls. Next to her was Ririka, her eyes full of concern and relief. Rika was sleeping in a chair across the room, and Alex bit back a groan of pain.

"M-Morning.." She hissed out in Eastern between clenched teeth, her hand grasping her side in pain.

"Morning? Just Morning?!" Ririka sounded almost angry, before she hugged Alex tightly to her, and Alex slowly put her arms around the woman. "You idiot, why would you do that?"

Alex smiled and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her home that lingered on Ririka. The mingling scent of spices and a slight smoky smell accompanied the woman, as well as the scent of her fruity perfume.

And once again, with the feeling of deep safety, Alex fell into oblivion once more.

* * *

"So what you're telling me is that your troops failed, Wrath?"

"Yes sir."

"Then perhaps you'd like to explain to me exactly how you, one of our best fighters, could not stop one girl?"

Ava "Wrath" Deliana forced herself not to flinch at the woman's anger, and slowly lifted her gaze to stare directly into the woman's glowing scarlet eyes.

"There were marines that we had not accounted for on the island - they were weak against our own decoy forces, barely managing to keep up with us. The rest were sent to the island not only to find her, but to bring any others along, burn the houses, collect treasures, our usual routine. We did not account for all of the forces being piss poor - Greed will need to hire quality pirates next time, not shoddy two-bit Eastern Blue ones."

"Go on."

"Once we had secured our route to the heart of the island, our troops (all twenty of them) raided the town. Two of them had gotten within inches of the Pest, though she managed to kill them both." Envy sighed, rubbing at her temples. "She took down roughly eight of them without the others noticing, before fleeing along the beach with minor injuries. She hid and managed to evade capture for some time before collapsing. We were forced to pull back when the marines set half of our ships ablaze in a moment of tactical error on the part of the captain, though he has been...dealt, with."

"Hmph. We do not have the required energy to sustain another jump for any of you, so until then you will all will remain here, within these confines."

"Yes, your Ladyship." Wrath said with a deep bow, leaving her lady in silence behind her thin paper screen.

Wrath strode from the room and into her own calmly.

She had work to do.

* * *

"She is alive?"

"Yes, but barely." Sakura replied, lifting her head to look at the woman before her.

"The details of the attack, then?"

Holy fucking hell was Sakura glad that she was her mistress' favorite.

"The Seven recruited pirates from all over the East Blue, and sent them to Shells City in hopes of destroying my Ward. We believe Wrath was behind the attack, though we are unsure." Sakura said, bowing her head once more.

"Sakura, raise your head. We are equals within this domain." Seraphina spoke gently, raising Sakura's head with one finger.

Sakura nodded once before standing, and looking Seraphina over.

Seraphina was tall, her hair and skin dark, and her eyes a molten crimson that scared even Sakura. Though to be fair, she was once an Archangel. Seraphina's white dress was tattered and smudged with blood and dirt, and Sakura looked at her with a bit of worry.

Seraphina shook her head a bit to confirm that the blood was not hers, and she was alright.

"Finna..." Sakura said, at a bit of a loss of what to say, so she looked deeply into the woman's eyes to convey her emotions.

Seraphina set her hand on Sakura's shoulder, before pulling her into a tight hug. Sakura buried her face into the woman's neck, inhaling the scent of dirt and incense that was so familiar to her.

"Saki, you helped your first Ward get out alive, and somewhat well!" Seraphina spoke gently to her, pride deep within her voice. "That's far more than what most can say about their first Ward, and your Ward was attacked by the Synnergies!"

Sakura nodded a bit, letting Seraphina continue on.

"You know better than anyone what the Synnergies are capable of, especially when... well, you understand." Seraphina smiled and rubbed circles onto Sakura's back as the girl cried.

"Oh Sakura, honey, you've done alright so far, and you'll do better as you grow. I'm incredibly proud of you."

Sakura started to sob uncontrollably as Seraphina rocked her back and forth in her arms.

Sakura was content to stay like that.

* * *

The next weeks to come were spent in utter frustration for Alex, the Doctor, and anyone involved.

As Alex recovered from two broken ribs, a cracked rib, and several other wounds to her flesh, she was incredibly bored.

All she was allowed to do was lay in bed all day, reading or sleeping in the same position (unless she needed to use the restroom or bathe, which was a lengthy process that she had no desire to repeat often). Sometimes Ririka came in to speak with her and keep her company, or Rika took time from playing to come and play with her.

Often, however, she entertained herself by speaking with her roommates.

There was Mori, a Marine who had been in many battles all over the first half of the Grand Line, but had decided after a near-death experience (well, after several) and a doctor's decree, that he was to remain in the Eastern Blue. Mori was tall and thin for his age (Alex was surprised to find he was thirty, not in his early twenties as she had assumed), and very cheerful. He often told her stories of his exploits, and she'd share some rather funny stories from her time on Earth.

Alex still couldn't believe she was calling this place her home, rather than her one on Earth, in the United States. Or that she'd forgotten her family entirely for months.

Alex focused on her other roommate, a girl of roughly twenty with the name of Umiko. Umiko was feisty and often got what she wanted when she wanted it. She had been in the initial attack, but one of the few who realized the island was being attacked rather quickly. In fact, Umiko had been in the party of Marines that had saved her.

Umiko suffered from a broken right leg, a cracked rib, and a nasty stab wound in her left shoulder. She'd received her injuries while defending the town, and a burning building had dumped a portion of stone on her. The stab wound was a gift from a pirate that had been after Alex.

Mori, on the other hand, was suffering from a broken leg and arm (both of them on the right side of his body) when he'd been slammed into the mast by a pirate.

Alex often talked with the two of them, and they all shared stories (though Alex's stories were slightly edited to keep from revealing too much about herself). The two of them often kept Alex from going crazy, and she suspected she did them the same.

Especially with all of her 'crazy' escape plots.

Roughly a week after being awake most of the time, Alex started to try sneaking from the building where they were housing the injured. It had been relatively easy at first, sneaking from the building and down to the beach for some much-needed fresh air. Of course, she hadn't gotten quite so far - she'd taken one step from the building when Ririka had spotted her and practically dragged her back inside by the ear.

The doctor was less than pleased.

Every couple of days after that Alex began her routine of great escapes.

With her egg of course.

Her egg had begun to wiggle every so often, and Alex couldn't have been happier. This meant her Familiar would hatch soon, and when he came into the world she would have to name him.

So, every day Alex escaped, she would bring her egg along.

Today was one such day.

Alex halted her breathing as she pressed her back against the wall, waiting for one of the volunteer nurses to walk by. As soon as she was gone, Alex was rushing down the hallway (well, as much as she could rush with some still-healing ribs).

Her scheme was foiled by the ancient doctor with his thick round glasses coming out of a doorway she was passing by.

He grabbed onto her ear and dragged her towards her room, before forcing her to sit down on the bed.

"Alex you're almost better! Stop trying to escape!" Umiko frowned at her from across the room as the doctor left, and Alex rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know, I just really want to go outside!" She whined, adjusting herself in the bed so her egg was partially under the covers.

Of course, Umiko decided that it was time for another lecture.

Great.

* * *

Alex gasped awake as something moved beside her, and she bolted upwards.

"OH MY GOD MY EGG IS HATCHING!" She nearly screamed, but managed to keep her voice to a somewhat decent level.

Her egg, sure enough, was moving back and forth, with small parts of it attempting to break open.

Umiko and Mori were shouting something from across the room, and suddenly she and her egg were on the floor, covered in blankets and her egg in a small box with a tattered old blanket Alex been using for him in it.

Alex wasn't sure what happened, but one moment her egg had a portion of it missing, and the next she was holding a rather large baby bird in her arms.

Oh, she fainted.

The bird in her arms was undoubtedly her familiar, and she felt something latch onto her consciousness.

 _Ma..ma_

Alex felt tears spill from her eyes as she hugged the bird in her arms, being as gentle as humanly possible.

His red-brown feathers were soft against her skin, and he was around the size of a full grown chicken.

Oh god she would have to name him.

"Sora." She whispered to herself, wondering exactly where the name had come from.

"I'll name you Sora."

Alex had no doubt in her mind that this little ball of fluff would prove to be a task in itself.

* * *

I'm getting a little emotional here - this is so much to take in!

Who are the Seven, who is Seraphina?

It is a mystery.

Yes.

Anyway, I'd love to hear your comments and everything, they make me really happy!

I'd love it if you guys reviewed to let me know where you think the fic will be going!

Alright, I'm out.

An: Yus it's time for the next book!

If you're new, please go into my profile and read The Juggler - Book One: Dreams of Freedom.

Ah finally we're entering Canon, which I'm much better with. Quality will improve.

I own nothing but my own things

* * *

 **The Juggler - Book Two: Sail on the Ocean Blue**

 **Chapter One**

Alex smiled widely at Sora from across the beach, shaking the water from his feathers.

Alex still couldn't believe it had been two long (yet incredibly short) years since she'd come to this world. Two years since...the trials.

She shook her head and smiled at Sora again before going back into the familiar Kata of her juggling style.

Overhead sweep with a short side blow, then a knee into the gut, before sweeping low to hit the -

 _One! One!_

Alex broke from her training once more to look at Sora, and cheered loudly as she saw the rather large fish in his slightly flat beak.

"Great job Sora! I'm so proud of you!" Alex cheered, dropping her clubs to run to him and lift him up. "Ririka's gonna be so happy we can make this for dinner!"

 _I love One!_

"I love you too, Sora."

Alex touched her nose to Sora's beak, before grabbing the fish and setting it in the bucket she'd brought along for this purpose.

As soon as she was done taking care of Sora's latest prize, she returned to her training circle and fell into her Kata again.

It was nice to lose herself in the mindlessness of training, to not dwell on the fact that a certain Moss haired swordsman from an anime she had loved in another life had shown his face.

Alex didn't have to dwell on the fact that her time here in Shells City was coming to an end, or that she might die soon.

* * *

She was in her dreamscape again, but this time Sakura was here again.

"You've got two years." Sakura said without looking at her.

"What?!" Alex snapped her head around to look at Sakura, who was sitting next to her.

"You've got two years until you will die if you stay in Shells City. Whether you join the Straw Hat Crew or not is entirely up to the choices you make. But the point remains that you will leave this place in two years, or you will die."

Alex had no words that could express what she felt - anger, sadness, pain...happiness?

So she simply slammed her fist into Sakura's face.

Only for Sakura to disappear.

Of course.

* * *

Alex shook her head to clear the memory, deciding to focus on her training.

But there, in the back of her head, was the nagging feeling of fear.

* * *

AN: Woo hoo! Our first Review corner of this fic!

don't worry, I've got a chapter I'm working on that will be posted today or tomorrow hopefullly.

I would like to take this time to apologize for my not-so-great writing in the last book, and the first chapter, but I really hate introductions (which is why i made a book dedicated to the intro chapters for the fic.)

My writing will only improve as I keep working.

Anyway, the Lovely Cyannel is back with questions that I may or may not have just realized I'd forgotten to clear up when writing.

The first is intentional but I'm not too proud of it.

* * *

Before I get started with the questions, I'd like to take this time to let you all know how this book will pan out.

Basically, this book is from where it is now (In Shells City, with Zoro having just arrived), all the way to entering the Grand Line.

So yeah this book will be pretty long.

I'm not going to say how many chapters, because I don't want to set a goal for myself on this one.

Anyway, you know the drill - a questions will be posed at the end of the Review Corner!

* * *

 **Cyannel:**

1) So Sora's a griffin?

Actually, this is going to sound really stupid but uh, her familiar was originally going to be a Loftwing from the Skyward Sword Zelda Game! (I love the Zelda games so much, i grew up with Ocarina of Time on the N64, and it turns out i have one of the first week release copies)

But I couldn't decide in the end, so I left the description a little open-ended so I could work around it.

I did, however, decide on Griffin.

So yes, long story short, Sora is a Griffin. :3

2) Excitement

Ahhhh I'm so happy you really liked it when Sora began hatching!

It was a huge hassle to figure out a proper name - i wanted something that meant "Red" originally, and I was going to go with Jasper until I thought about an old story I'd worked on with a few friends, and her pet bird that died (long story short they were all mary sues and it was tragedy after tragedy) was Sora.

Then it kinda just stuck.

But yeah I'm really happy you like Sora!

Unfortunately I wasn't entirely sure what to do to lead into hatching - I'm not the best writer when I don't have a clear idea in my head and also i suck with Intros. Which is why book one was an entirely Introductory book.

3) When Did Alex's memory with Sakura in it take place?

Ah, I wasn't too clear on the time transition between books.

Lemme jot it down for you:

1\. It's been nearly three years since Alex began the trials, took two weeks (standard time) to succeed, but Three months (in trial time) to succeed.

\- time in the trials works differently, so Alex missed a single week in real-time, but was in the trails for three months in her point of view.

2\. It has been Two years since Alex ended up in the One Piece World

3\. It has been a little less than two years since Sora hatched from his egg.

The memory takes place roughly a week or so after Sora hatches.

* * *

My question for this review corner is -

Who do you think the Seven Synnergies are?

* * *

AN: I'm actually pretty surprised at how many words this chapter is pre-author's note.

I own nothing but my own shit

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Alex stifled a yawn as she served the noon crowd, bored by the consistency of the dishes she served.

In fact, the only one who didn't order the same thing every damn day was a fisherman by the name of... Ryuji? Ryuji came in every day and ordered something different. He didn't like consistency, he had told her one day while winking, to which she had laughed, shaking her head. Ryuji had a rather...extensive, rumor on just what his 'night' life was like, and he knew it.

In fact, Ryuji often made jokes about it to her, even if she didn't always fully understand what he was saying.

Alex's smile faltered slightly as she saw that a certain Green-haired swordsman she'd managed to avoid for the past day was sitting at one of the tables, waiting to have his order taken.

Alex was tempted to have Ririka come and deal with him, but Alex knew that if by some fucking miracle she joined the Straw Hats, she'd never live it down. 'Oi, you remember the time we first met and you made your boss come serve me?'

That pissed Alex right the hell off.

Alex walked towards the table as confidently as possible, and pulled out her pen and paper.

"G'Afternoon." Alex said with a smile, nodding at Zoro. "Do you know what want?"

Alex nearly slapped herself in the face over the poor grammar she'd used - she knew it was the wrong way to ask, but her brain was jumbling her words.

"A barrel of Sake and the White Rice with meat." Zoro responded, and Alex tried not to beg him to speak again - she'd always loved that voice of his. She loved deep voices with men, and medium ones for women. Ultimately she admired smoother sounding voices.

"Alright! I'll be back." Alex said with a smile, nodding before weaving her way back through the crowd.

Alex hummed lightly to herself as she drew out a small illustration as well as the key words of the order - she could speak Eastern fairly well, but couldn't write it for the life of her. One the edge of the paper she scribbled a cute Zoro chibi, like she did with most of the customers. That way Ririka could tell who it was for.

She placed the order to Ririka before moving to the storage in the kitchen for the barrel of sake.

...and couldn't find it.

"Ririka, where's the sake?" Alex called to the woman from across the room.

"There isn't any left in here - go out to the storehouse!"

Alex groaned loudly but made her way out back and grabbed a barrel of sake from the storage house, pausing for less than a minute to admire the fact that she once was unable to do this.

As soon as she was inside she weaved her way through the tables and towards Zoro's table, setting the barrel down gently, so she wouldn't drop it by accident.

After the first few barrels Alex had dropped, Ririka had realized it was clumsiness rather than a lack of strength that was causing her to drop the barrels, and had forced Alex to take her time with them.

"Here you are!" Alex said with a smile, nodding her head to Zoro. "I'll be back with your food in minute."

The only response Zoro decided to deem her with was a grunt, and she decided to take what she could get.

Alex returned to taking out orders and bringing plates, and the rest of the hour was spent in comfortable normality.

Until Zoro took his tab and left.

Alex spent the next few minutes simply cleaning up after the noon rush - Zoro was their last customer until dinner. Then it hit her.

Rika was out playing, and Zoro had just left.

Alex shouted something at Ririka - she wasn't sure what, just a jumbled mix of 'I'll be back' and 'gotta find Rika i promised her something'.

Alex felt her feet slap at the pavement below her, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps as she frantically looked for Rika.

She came around the bend just as the wolf came at Rika, and Alex swore she'd never moved so fast in her life.

"Get away from her!" Alex shouted, throwing her body around Rika just as a certain swordsman came into view, effortlessly killing the wolf.

Alex looked into Zoro's eyes, conveying her gratitude before standing and moving Rika behind her, forcing Rika not to look at the dead wolf.

It was then that Alex came to a sudden realization.

"I am so fucked."

* * *

AN: Ah yes time to start chapter three

Review is at the bottom, so that way you don't have to scroll through a block of text. so... yeah

i don't own anything but my own stuff.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Alex forced herself to slow her breathing as she pressed her back against the stone wall she was hiding behind.

How exactly had Alex come to this? Dressing in a dark cloak and carrying water to an anime character that was now real?

Oh right - He'd taken the blame for killing Helmeppo's stupid fucking wolf. Then, he'd had the gall to push her to the ground, which she'd later realized he'd done to show that she wasn't Zoro's friend.

That had been two days ago and - Holy fucking shit a marine was _right_ _next to her oh god_.

As soon as the marine was gone, Alex took deep, calming breaths to help soothe her frantic heartbeat. She was going to fucking shit herself if another Marine walked by.

As soon as she had determined the coast was clear, she slowly made her way towards the large wall to the Mairne Base.

She made sure the water bottle was secured in her cloak, to ensure none of the water would spill out. As soon as she was sure the water was safe, she took a few steps back, using her momentum to propel herself up and over the wall.

A quick scan over the clearing wasn't even needed, because Zoro was right in the middle, tied to a 'cross' of sorts.

"What do you want." Zoro said, as his tone implied it wasn't even a question.

Alex crossed the clearing cautiously, careful not to step on any twigs. She pulled out the bottle of water, and smiled at Zoro.

"I brought water." She whispered, before setting it on the ground and pulling out a couple more, as well as a rag. "I also brought something to clean your wounds with."

"Get out of here." Zoro growled, setting his face into a glare that Alex would have been scared of two years ago - now it just pissed her off.

She completely ignored him talking about the deal, and angrily pushed on a cut, making the man hiss.

"Shut the fuck up Roronoa." Alex hissed, cleaning his wounds as quickly as she dared. "You think Helmeppo is gonna... keep his end of the deal? I know that bastard - he is... untrustworthy."

Zoro's eyes glinted as he finally noticed her heavy accent, as well as the slight pause that she had to take between certain parts of the sentences. Thankfully he ignored it, or decided to ask her about it later, because he remained silent. Or perhaps his eyes were glinting as he realized she was right.

Alex wasn't good at reading people.

She carried out the rest of her work in silence, other than the occasional request she was forced to make of him so she could give him more water, or clean a wound.

and as Alex looked at the green-haired swordsman, she realized just how fucked she was.

* * *

 **Cyannel:**

aww you're so sweet :3

1) Wonder what Alex's next move is gonna be?

Yeah, if she stays on the island she's fucked, but her curiosity combined with her conscience might not let her. And if she leaves with Luffy when all is said and done, she also might be fucked.

Plus she'd have to live with the fact that she sat idly by, in front of her family, while someone starved. Because while this world may function on One Piece physics, it also functions with real-world physics.

Meaning Zoro will die without water.

* * *

2) Seven Synnergies = Seven deadly sins

You've (partially) cracked the code!

The Synnergies are definitely based off of the Seven deadly sins, and as they're introduced i'll be putting up pictures on a side blog of mine then link everyone to it.

The Seven Synnergies are actually part of an old Mary Sue fic i wrote a few years ago. I figured it was time to break that old idea out and use it again.

* * *

3) Question of the Review: Will there be Romance?

Ah yes, question of the review time!

There is a good chance, yeah!

If I do romance, itll be developed over a long period of time, which will include:

-A small feud between a couple people who have confused feelings over Alex

-Alex flipping the fuck out

-People being dense motherfuckers (its totally Alex)

-And various shenanigans.

Basically it'll be like this when they all realize how they feel:

Person A: Oh wow i just realized i view you as a sister. I had absolutely no idea what i was feeling until now sorry i was such a dick.

Person B: I really like you but I'm not backing off until Person C and you actually get together because you like each other - I'm actually doing you a solid so stfu

Person C: I really really love you and I'm so happy you like me back holy shit

Of course, that wasn't really in character but that's the gist of how it'll turn out.

-  
I think ill do romance, but it wont fully take effect until the time-skip, or rather, a special arc post time-skip.

Oh boy do i have a special arc planned for Alex that will most likely break her. Actually it will break her and by that time you'll all be so attached to Alex that you'll prolly cry.

AN:

I'm not sure I'm entirely pleased with this chapter - but I needed a way to get things set up, so...

I'll rewrite it when I have approximately five chapters written, ready to publish. I like to make sure I have something for later.

Review is at the bottom.

I own nothing but my own shit

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

Alex sighed deeply as she looked at Zoro, and shook her head.

"I'll be back tomorrow Roronoa."

Alex didn't wait for a reply as she vaulted over the wall, using her momentum to propel her forwards and down the street, quickly running past any Marines that were out and about.

Alex ran towards Food Foo, and scaled the side of the building her room was on using the vines that grew down the side.

She was glad she'd left her window unlocked, and she quickly slipped inside.

It was easy to hide the cloak she'd used, and changing into her pajamas then slipping into bed wasn't hard either.

As soon as she was lying down Sora was curled up next to her in the space between her and the wall. He purred softly at her, something she hadn't been aware he could do the first time he'd done it.

She smiled and scratched the top of his head, before settling into her nest of covers.

And into darkness.

* * *

Alex groaned and rubbed at her eyes as she woke the next morning, Sora enthusiastically pushing at her face with the top of his head to wake her.

"Sora noooo." She whined, attempting to sleep more, but he wouldn't have any of that.

Sora pecked at the top of her head, startling her so bad she squeaked.

"Alright alright I'm up!"

Alex crawled out of her sleeping space and started getting ready for their morning exercises.

As soon as she was ready, she ran downstairs (quietly so she didn't wake Ririka or Rika) and grabbed some bread and cheese from the kitchen. She made a quick breakfast out of it, and chugged a rather large glass of milk before heading out the door.

She lost herself in the mindlessness of running, twisting and turning down the streets as Sora flew and ran next to her, happy to be outside in the fresh air.

Time flew as she lost herself in the mindlessness of training, and the next thing she knew, she was jogging back to Food Foo to help Ririka with the morning rush.

As soon as Alex was inside she was darting up the stairs and into the bathroom. She quickly wiped herself down with a rag and changed into proper clothes, spraying herself with a bit of perfume to drown the rest of the sweaty smell from her body.

Ririka smiled at her as she entered the Kitchen, and Alex smiled at the smell of bacon and eggs. Alex started setting the table, with she and Ririka falling into a comfortable rhythm as they worked.

It was nice to lose yourself.

* * *

End AN:

 **AyumuMatsuoXIII:**

Yus, everyone will cry at the Arc I have planned yassss

Actually that Arc was what inspired me to write this fic - i kept imagining the scenes from it, and I was like "Y'know what? Ima write it."

So yeah.

* * *

AN:

Yes, Alex has a thing for cute things.

I had to cut this chapter off because I want to post this chapter today, but I'm running out of time.

Also I felt like this was a good place to stop it, so... yeah.

I only own my own shit.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Alex and Zoro had fallen into a comfortable rhythm the past days - Alex would sneak him water every night, and a small bread roll every other day. During the day she would go down to visit him during her lunch break, and entertain him for an hour or two.

Today, however, Alex realized she would be a little late for their daily talk.

Sitting at one of the tables in front of her, was none other than Monkey D. Luffy, future King of the Pirates.

Alex blanched and walked back behind the wall that separated the kitchen and the rest of the dining area.

Today was the day - today was the day she'd have to decide whether or not she stayed here in Shells City and died, or if she fled to sea with these pirates. Or she could hitch a ride on a boat and get out of here without having to endure starvation.

Yeah she was going with plan number two.

Alex took deep breaths to compose herself and walked out from behind the wall, pulling her pen and paper out to take Luffy's order when she got there.

"Good afternoon!" She said cheerfully, smiling at the boys in front of her. "What do you want?"

"I'll have the chicken and rice. Uh, please." Coby told her, and she smiled and nodded, writing down his order before turning to Luffy.

"Meat!"

Alex forced a laugh and nodded again, walking away from Luffy and Coby's table, her heart pounding in her chest.

Holy shit that was scary.

She thought for sure that shit was gonna go down.

Thank gods for that.

After placing the order with Ririka, Alex decided she'd observe the pirate and future-marine. It wasn't hard to do - she just pretended to be cleaning some of the glasses behind the bar as she "looked over" the restaurant.

Luffy was actually kinda cute.

His black hair stuck out messily from his trademark straw hat, which was actually a lot floppier than she'd imagined. Probably because it was actually woven instead of the stupid factory made hats. His nose was short and upturned, which was very adorable, and freckles danced all over his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. His eyes were large and a very deep brown that she could see from across the way - so dark they were almost black. Large lashes framed his eyes, and his eyebrows were actually kinda neatly plucked or something, as they weren't caveman-ish.

Alex slowly moved her gaze from Luffy and over to some of the other patrons, trying not to seem suspicious. When she was sure it was alright to look again, she did, but this time at Coby.

Coby was exactly like he'd been in the anime - short and chubby (adorably so), and his pale pink hair was cut in a bowl-cut style, and his rather large circular glasses kinda made her want to pick him up and hug him tightly. Oh god he's so cute.

"Alex - table twelve!"

Alex nearly jolted in surprise at Ririka's voice, but kept herself still and walked back into the kitchen, grabbing the large circular serving tray and placing the food onto it.

Alex fell into her normal trance-like work ethics, and before she knew it she had served Luffy and Coby, and was on her lunch break.

Alex was so incredibly fucked.

* * *

AN: Wow, this chapter is 908 words long! And that's Pre-Author's note!

I'm not entirely sure if I captured what I was aiming for with Zoro, as I'm always afraid I'm not portraying a character right, but I think I did alright.

Zoro is different than in the Manga/Anime - he's a real person, and will be a lot more in-depth than how he's been shown.

I mean all of the characters will be, but it shows in this chapter. Zoro is more 'touchy feely' than he's been shown, and some characteristics you'll find as we go along will be that's he's a bit more philosophical, as well as very smart. He's just prone to dumb decisions at times, and is more "act without thinking".

Idk it just strikes me as a Zoro thing tbh.

So yeah, enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

Alex wasn't sure of exactly what had happened.

One moment she was heading up to her room, planning to pack her things for her departure, and the next she was jumping out of her window and heading towards the Marine Base.

Maybe it was the fact that she didn't want to be alone, and that Zoro was actually a very nice man once you got past his grumpy exterior, but she wanted to be with a friend.

It was easy to clamber over the wall (the first few times she'd practiced in the dead of night, she'd failed miserably). She walked straight to Zoro, who seemed to be asleep. Sitting down in front of him, she took her bag from her shoulders and sat cross-legged on the ground.

He made no signs that he was awake, but Alex knew he was. Zoro was good at sensing people, and he usually only pretended to be asleep. Alex had learned that first hand when she'd poked him in the face and he'd bit her finger.

Alex had not been happy.

Alex decided that lying on the ground was a better option, and so she laid down, using her bag as a pillow.

"So, today I saw a pirate in town." Alex finally said, after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Zoro raised his head barely, just enough so she could his his uninterested stare. Then he 'fell back asleep'.

"He looks promising - if his appetite is anything to go by." She chuckled, before shuddering, remembering how his mouth had looked terrifying. "It was actually pretty terrifying - I think his jaw unhinged like a snake."

Zoro snorted at that one, and she openly laughed.

"Oh yeah? Anything else other than the pirate's appetite you wanted to discuss?" Zoro asked, a grin on his face.

Alex's smile faltered a bit, before she pulled it back up, deciding she'd talk about her departure later. She didn't think Zoro had noticed, but she was almost certain he did.

"Yeah - the kid's got a friend who wants to be a Marine! Imagine it, a Marine, friends with a Pirate!" Alex smiled, before sighing. "Actually it's not so terribly hard to imagine, considering I have Marine friends, but whatever."

"You wanna be a pirate?"

"Yeah, kinda. I mean, no, I absolutely want to be a pirate, but I really suck with directions." Alex groaned and wiped her hands over her face. "I mean - I can't tell you where any compass directions are, but I can navigate by sight."

"Also I can't sail."

"You would make the absolute worst pirate." Zoro finally said, entirely serious.

"Hey! I resent that!" Alex stuck her tongue out at Zoro, using her middle finger to pull down her eye. "You're the one who can't find their home island!"

Zoro sputtered for a moment, before leaning forward a bit with a pissed off look.

"Shut up! I can find my island, it's just lost!"

Alex stood up, pointing her finger in Zoro's face before retracting it, and throwing her arms in the air after a moment of consideration.

"Oh, so an entire _ISLAND_ got lost? Where's the headlines in the Newspaper?"

"Shut up!" Oh yeah, Zoro looked ready to stab. Too bad his swords were up in Helmeppo's room.

"Alright, Alright I'll drop it." She said with a smile, sitting down again.

Alex and Zoro settled into another comfortable silence, with Alex laying back down onto the ground. She bit her lip and opened her mouth to speak, but decided not to. Guilt began eating away at her, and she debated just what she was going to say in her head.

Should she be outright with it? Just say 'I'm leaving', or bring it up casually like 'Yeah I'm gonna be doing this and this, oh also I'm leaving.'?

"I'm leaving Shells City." Alex said after a long while, sitting up as she said it.

"What?"

"Not yet of course - I'm going to need someone to help me take on the Marines - plus I have some other loose ends to tie up." Alex smiled at him, but her heart wasn't in it. "Like you, for example."

"Then untie me, and we can hide somewhere, then kill Morgan."

"I can't do that - it would put Rika and Ririka in danger." Alex said exasperatedly. "Plus neither of us can navigate a boat when we need to leave."

"Is that the reason you're so excited about this pirate?" Zoro asked thoughtfully, looking down at her.

"Kinda? I mean, that's part of the reason yeah - he can probably help us both out. He looks strong enough." Alex sighed and flopped back onto the ground.

"I...I was told, awhile ago, by my sister, that if I stayed on the island I was going to die." Alex put her hands over her face, blocking the sun out. "She told me 'In two years, if you remain in Shells City, you will be killed.' That was two years ago Zoro - I can't risk dying. I have places to be, things to do!"

"But I don't want to leave, not now, not ever!"

Alex groaned and flopped her arms down.

Zoro lifted his gaze to look at something to her left, and Alex turned her head to look and see what it was.

Oh gods.

Sitting there on the wall, in all his glory, was Monkey D. Luffy.

* * *

AN: Alright! Chapter Seven!

Review responses are at the bottom!

I own nothing but my own shit

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

"Could you please... come over here and untie me?"

Alex tensed herself from next to Zoro, panic surging through her, though she did her best not to show it. She had no cover, no way to hide herself unless she darted behind Zoro, but even then Luffy had still seen her.

Alex couldn't even figure out why she was afraid - perhaps it was because this boy reeked of danger. Because wherever he went, trouble seemed to follow.

"Big brother? What are you doing here?" Rika said from beside her, and Alex jumped.

Oh shit.

"Rika! What are you doing here? Go home!" Alex hissed, grabbing the girl by her shoulders (gently) and slightly shaking her.

"I'm here to give big brother rice balls! He must be hungry!" Rika said with determination, slipping from Alex's grasp, and darting over to Zoro.

Alex went to grab the girl again, but decided better of it. If this didn't happen, Luffy wouldn't punch Helmeppo, and wouldn't have a need to come get Zoro.

Alex sighed and slung her bag over her shoulders, going to stand by Rika. She ran her hands over her face and rubbed her eyes.

"Uhm, big brother, I made some rice balls for you!" Rika said, presenting the rice balls to Zoro. "You haven't eaten for a long time right? This is the first time I made rice balls."

"I'm not hungry, go away!" Zoro snarled at her, and it took everything Alex had not to deck him in the face. It was for Rika's own good.

"But..."

"I don't want it! Leave me!" Zoro was shouting at her now, and Alex's eyes widened. She'd never heard Zoro yell. "I'll kill you if you don't go!"

"Zoro! Keep your damn voice down you i-"

"Roronoa Zoro! Don't pick on little kids! Or else I'll have to report to my father about it."

Great. Helmeppo.

Oh look, he's wearing his purple suit.

An old memory of a parody Alex had once watched popped into her mind, but she forced it down, focusing on the now.

"Great, here comes the walking fashion disaster." Alex muttered under her breath, pushing Rika behind her protectively.

Alex crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head slightly, lips pulled back in a sneer.

"Oh look, it's the worker!" Helmeppo said, and Alex's entire face turned red.

Her false backstory was that she had been taken by pirates while on her home island in the Western Blue. They had kept her as a slave, and it wasn't until she had managed to book passage to the Eastern Blue while on the Grand Line did she escape.

Of course, it had some truth in it.

She had been kidnapped (in a sense), just not by pirates, but rather a literal demon. She had been kept a slave, but not here, not in this world.

It took every ounce of Alex's strength to stay completely still, though it wasn't quite as hard as she'd imagined. Her shock helped her stay locked in place, but it was still quite hard not to fucking deck Helmeppo then tear his balls off.

"Tch... if it isn't the Lieutenant Bastard's son." Zoro said from next to her, just loudly enough to catch Helmeppo's attention. She'd have to thank him for that later.

"Bastard? Don't get cocky, my dad is a Marine Lieutenant!" Helmeppo practically shrieked the comment at Zoro, obviously touchy.

Helmeppo strode straight up to Alex and grabbed Rika from behind her. Alex went to grab at Rika, but he forced the two marines at his side to grab her.

Alex fought against the Marines, but they had her held tightly between the two of them as Helmeppo proceeded to steal food, and then waste it.

"Hey! Bastard child of a goddamn monkey and an onion!" Alex shouted at Helmeppo as he pointed out the sign, and telling Rika she would have been killed if she was an adult. "Leave her alone!"

"Guards, throw her out!" Helmeppo shouted at the guards holding her.

One of them whispered an apology into her ear before picking her up and literally _throwing her from the fucking ground and over the wall_.

Alex forced back a scream and tried to right herself, but couldn't. She was twisted so her back was facing the other side of the wall, but she was twisted sideways slightly. There was no way to right herself!

Oh god she was going to break something.

Something slammed into her as she twisted around, and enveloped her. She and whatever was around her skidded along the ground until slowly coming to a stop.

When she dared open her eyes, she was met with a sea of red in front of her eyes.

Oh, she was being held by someone.

Alex groaned as she sat up, only just realizing Luffy had caught her. Scrambling to stand, Alex helped Luffy up from off of the ground, apologizing profusely.

"Ah, I'm so, so sorry! Thank you for catching me!" Alex apologized, bowing a bit.

Luffy smiled at her, and Alex smiled back.

"I've got to go - you take care of my little sister until I'm back, okay?" Alex asked, and Luffy smiled.

"Shishishi! You got it!"

Alex nodded once more at Luffy before taking off towards the docks.

She had a boat to get passage on.

* * *

Review response time!

 **Cyannel:**

1) Shit's about to hit the fan

Hell yes it is, time to get serious!

2) Wondering where Sora is

You'll see him again within the next couple of chapters, but I can't say anything yet. :3

3) Physics

Yeah, there are certain OP physics that will apply, while there are certain Real-world physics that will also apply.

The whole 'I can bleed an extreme amount' physics, will partially apply - characters can bleed a bit more than normal - around a pint or two more of blood - but can bleed out, and will definitely need transfusions.

Like when Zoro's a dumbass and gets fuckin shanked by unicycle guy.

4) Coby being adorable

Yasss I love Coby - he starts out p annoying (but cute) and then turns into a strong kid! I love it!

* * *

AN: Ah, yes, time to enter the fray!

WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER - If you don't like blood, I'm giving you a warning that the first half of this chapter has it in it, so please be careful! I don't want to set off an anxiety or panic attack for someone.

Reviews will be at the bottom.

I own nothing!

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

Alex was scared.

Never in her twenty years of life had she been so fucking scared out of her life.

She sobbed brokenly as blood stained her clothing, seeping from the large gashes of the one she was holding.

Sora was dying, and she was scared.

There was no use hiding just how scared she was for her best friend, because he could sense her fear, no matter how deep she buried it down. Sora tried to make some sort of comforting sound, but couldn't, as all that came out was a gargling sound, and blood spilled from his beak.

Alex sobbed again, pulling her broken friend closer to her with one arm. The other hung limply at her side, useless.

Alex tried to get some of her own blood (now dripping fiercely down her arm and woah she was getting dizzy) into Sora's beak, but his own blood made it impossible. Her tears blocked her vision and she couldn't focus on Sora's wounds, which she was attempting to stop the bleeding of.

 _One...One it hurts._

"I- I know baby, I know it hurts just h-hold on." Alex sobbed, pulling her familiar close to her.

Even if they had to pry him from her forcibly she would never let go.

She would never, ever let him go.

Then, the world went dark.

* * *

 **[An hour earlier]**

Alex sighed as she looked around her old room.

Every corner of this room had been hers for the past two years, and every nook and cranny had her special touch.

Packing her bags was hard (especially since she was leaving quite a bit behind, and was taking some of the clothing she'd bought for her pirating life), and she had cried through most of it. Sora had decided that leaving her alone for now was the best option, and had gone downstairs to play with Rika.

But now, finally, she was done.

Alex stripped the clothes she had on off, leaving herself naked (other than the underwear she was wearing). She set the outfit she had just taken off on the bed, comparing the two outfits that were on the bed.

On the left was the outfit she'd just taken off.

The outfit was plain, simple. The pants were black and flared out around her ankles, the shoes were sandals, and the shirt was a white, sleeveless one.

There was nothing special about the outfit itself, but everything about it was special to her.

She'd worn this outfit the day she'd woken up after the pirates attacked, the day of her first (surprise) birthday party that Ririka had put together for her, and the day that she had decided to leave.

On the right, was the outfit that she'd been given.

The outfit was extravagant but practical, made of good cloth that didn't easily tear, and repaired easily. The pants were light (they were a scarlet color), made of durable material that let the heat pass right through them. Then there was a half shirt that was combined with a vest (that was simply slipped on). The vest was white with a maroon detail and edging, which was extremely pleasing to the eyes. Then, the final pieces of the ensemble were the cherry red scarf, and the simple black flats.

She was going to wear that outfit.

Alex didn't hesitate to don the outfit (after taking her binder off for a few minutes and stretching because she didn't want to hurt her body).

Then, once Alex was done getting dressed, she grabbed her bags (her backpack and her two suitcases), and headed down stairs.

Time to face the music.

* * *

What happened for those of you who skipped the first half -

Basically the first half takes place an hour after the second, and Sora is dying, and Alex is scared out of her wits.

Reviews:

 **Varus the Shadow Sage:**

Ah, thank you! Her 'shadowy' past will be revealed as we go on!

Not so much in this book, but rather later on, when a certain filler Arc I'll be doing pops up. This book will, of course, have more reveals on it of course, but it'll really be heavily explored in later arcs.

So yeah! Glad to hear you like it! :D

 **ThePrincessAndTheDragon:**

Thank you!

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry I didn't get a chance to upload yesterday - I was busy, and it wasn't intentional.

So ye

I own only my own shit.

Review responses are at the bottom.

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

"What?!" Ririka exclaimed, dropping the plate in her hands.

"I'm leaving. I've got a ride on a boat out of here in a few hours." Alex repeated, attempting to keep her face in its carefully crafted mask.

"Why?" Ririka asked, Rika echoing a similar protest, but with more crying.

"It's time for me to go - I can't stay here." Alex repeated her original comment, looking Ririka dead in the eye.

"Alex Keeper!" Ririka bellowed, and Alex flinched, taking a step back. "Tell me what you are doing, or so help me you will be in so much trouble!"

Holy shit... Alex had never seen Ririka like this.

"Rika, go play." Ririka looked to her daughter, and the girl sensed that this was grownup talk, but did not move.

Alex cast a pointed look at Luffy, and then Coby.

"Ah, come on, Rika! Let's go play!" Coby said, Luffy echoing the sentiment.

Alex sighed and crouched down to Rika's level, smiling.

"Hey, I'll come play with you in a bit, just let me and mom talk okay?" Alex asked Rika, which seemed to convince the little girl, as she and the other two boys went across the restaurant to play.

Alex turned to Ririka, lowering her voice.

"I...I can't stay here. I'm a wanted criminal - I don't have a bounty yet." Alex finally conceded. "My sister has kept me from having a bounty, but... it won't be long before I'm chased after again."

It wasn't the full truth - the full truth was quite worse.

"I have to go, Ririka. You'll be in danger if I don't." Alex said, gently setting her hands on the woman's shoulders. "Rika will be in danger."

That did it - the mention of the woman's daughter being hurt was enough to convince her that what Alex was doing was right.

Ririka sat heavily in a chair, sighing.

"When do you leave?"

Her voice was quiet, like a small child in trouble. Alex had never seen her like this. So...defeated, so weak.

She sat down next to Ririka, not looking at the woman.

"In a few hours - they're leaving in four hours." Alex said, looking straight ahead to where Rika and the two boys were playing.

"Ririka I -" Alex began after a moment of silence, but was quickly quieted by Ririka's hug.

The woman was strong - she had to be, even on a marine-protected island.

So why did it surprise Alex that she could hug so tightly?

"I suppose I can't make you change your mind - but you had better come straight back home when you do what you're about to do." Ririka whispered into Alex's ear, and her eyes widened.

How could Ririka have known?

Alex smiled into the woman's shoulder, nodding once.

"Of course - It'd be a shame if I didn't come home to my family." She whispered.

The hug lasted a long while, and when they both finally broke it, Alex had to wipe a couple tears from her eyes.

She set her bags on the other side of the bar counter and when she stood back up, she smiled at Ririka, her clubs in hand.

"I'll be back, and with a friend, so could you please make some food up mama?" Alex asked, and Ririka looked floored for a moment before smiling.

"Of course."

Alex dashed out of the bar, only barely stopping to press a kiss to the top of Rika's head.

It was time to end this.

* * *

 **Cyannel:**

Hahahahahahaha yasss

She got into so much shit so quickly because it was an hour after she'd started packing.

and don't worry Sora won't die.

(Probably)

And yeah, it was the outfit she'd originally gotten from Sakura-Bitch, but she wasn't tall enough or filled out enough to fit in it, but she is now!

Plus she's going to be a pirate, so she's gonna wear whatever she wants lol

and no really Sora won't die so soon, but he is hurt because of reasons.

Sora has actually been scouting the beach and getting his fill of the island before he has to leave, so he has no idea Alex is getting ready to fuckin fight anyone.

There is something i'd like to point out about Familiars though

They and their "master" (or rather, their "One"), is that they are connected mentally by a bond that can't be broken. Right now Alex and Sora have an exceptionally strong bond for only being two years old, but all they can really do with it is Alex can understand Sora, and they can feel when the other is in immense pain.


	8. Surprise! - Homestuck

Real AN: okay so i went through my flash drive from middle school and found a fucking gold mine of shit. oh god this is all terrible. This particular one is based around Alyssa (the protagonist) somehow having to find all hte homestuck characters (that are now somehow real?) in a convention, idk man this is filled with disgusting tropes tho

* * *

[Surprise!]

Prologue

A young girl stands in her bedroom, today is a very important day. Though it was eighteen years ago she was given life – today is the day of her first ANIME CONVENTION. What is this girl's name?

Enter Name

You growl and the enter name bar falls to the ground. You don't have time for any foolishness today – you have to get ready and be out the door in two hours!

Introduce yourself

Your name is ALENA ARLENNA, as previously mentioned, you are the ripe age of EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD. As was also previously mentioned it is the day of your first ANIME CONVENTION. You plan on Cosplaying as your GOD TIER, one of the best classes (in your opinion) as the MAID OF BREATH. You have taken the meticulous time to actually SEW THE COSTUME YOURSELF, opting on taking the SIX MONTHS to complete it. You have a wide array of interests, ranging from ANIME AND MANGA, to STORM WATCHING, and of course, HOMESTUCK, the glorious WEBCOMIC that changed your life, so to speak. You have been using a new beta version of PESTERCHUM, a version created by none other than ANDREW HUSSIE himself. The beta version was sent to a random number of people, and as of late you have only made friends with one of them. You of course, browsed the CHUM HANDLE LIST, and found that THIRTY TWO of the chum handles had been taken (or TROLLIAN TAGS as the beta featured an option of Trollian as well) up by CANNON HANDLES, meaning a select few (who had yet to make themselves known) had taken them. The new pesterchum was also PASSWORD LOCKED, depending on your handle, a feature that was highly useful to prevent others from taking your chumhandle. Your chumhandle is apocalypticHybrid [AH], you type in the same ice blue color as your eyes, and you Tend to type somewhat respectfully, though you seem to always sound really kid like! You use lots of exclamation points when trying to prove something!

What do you do?

Look outside of your apartment window

You peer thoughtfully outside of your window, viewing the majority of the Los Angeles area. You have lived in California the majority of your strange existence, though you have only just moved to the Los Angeles area for Schooling purposes – you aim to be a meteorologist, though it isn't your go-to job. In fact, your go to job is none at all. But you digress.

Get Ready for the convention

You agree with that – getting ready ahead of time will be essential in getting to the convention. You quickly (which means take almost an hour) get ready for the convention, donning your God Tier outfit, the bright blue colors bringing out the ice blue in your own eyes. You brush through your straw-colored hair – though you know the curly and wild mess that falls to your chin will do what it wants whenever it wants.

Prepare your backpack

You go through the black hiking backpack that you bought months back specifically for this purpose (and for schooling you suppose). You quickly place your iPad inside, along with its charger and a few other necessities – a change of clothes, some cash, and some paper and pens, and your wallet, as well as your camera – you don't want to miss anything! Oh right, and you suppose you'd better bring your laptop and….where is your laptop?

Search for Laptop

Yeah, you've got that idiot! You're searching for the stupid laptop, wherever it is. You search high and low for the damned thing – only to find it underneath your bed. Failing to understand how it was put under there, you simply pick it up and carry it to your backpack. As you move to put it inside of your backpack, however, the sound of Pesterchum goes off, and you wonder what your friend could possibly want.

Answer Friend

You open your laptop and navigate to the Pesterchum icon – the only one in your chum roll is online (of course, otherwise she wouldn't be messaging you) and you answer. Her cryptic ways and dark purple text somewhat irritate you, though she's a good friend in the end you suppose. You groan because she's turned the anonymous time option on again, leaving two question marks instead of an actual time. You begrudgingly answer her, fully prepared for masses of purple text to assault your eyes.

-melancholyWriter [MW] started pestering apocalypticHybrid [AH] at ?—

[MW]: Hey Alena, it's time, isn't it? Once again, the world is progressing according to my own works of digital ink and paper, the whole world progressing as I choose due to my work and the hosting of the internet.

[MW]: One day we may both look upon this day and say "Damn those were fun times".

[MW]: Perhaps it will be on the day you die? These time shenanigans don't particularly confuse me – I am a Knight of Time – but things start to wear on your brain after trying to remember which timeline you're in. But I digress.

[MW]: Today is the day, isn't it? The day of your awakening, the day of climbing tiers of unknown renown and feathered caps – awakening of powers untold! What is your weapon of choice, by any chance? Perhaps you'd rather just strife with your own powers?

[MW]: No, you seem more like a sort of weapon girl. Perhaps an Axe? You seem adept with your surprising amount of strength, which will only increase over time. A Mace, perhaps? Brass knuckles? No matter, you'll have time to decide. I suggest taking a weapon with you to the convention – they can become pretty rowdy.

[MW]: If not an actual weapon, take a fake one, it will come in handy, trust me.

[AH]: What the actual hell are you going on about MW?

[MW]: Oh you'll find out in time my dear, all in due time….

[AH]: Okay look, I'm starting to get reeeal angry here. You'd better explain, and you'd better explain now!

[MW]: Sorry, but no spoilers! Have fun my dear!

-melancholyWriter [MW] has ceased pestering apocalypticHybrid [AH] at ? –

* Flip out

You proceed to flip out for a few minutes, your tendency of getting extremely angry over simple things once again taking over.

Stop this foolishness! It's almost time to go!

You stop flipping out and panic for a moment – you're going to be late if you don't hurry!

Get your things and let's go!

You agree completely and grab your backpack, slinging it over your shoulders and grabbing your keys. You stop yourself and grab the large (and fake) mace that you made as your strife weapon. You then run out the door as fast as possible, barely pausing to lock the door before you hurl yourself down the stairs and out of your apartment building entirely.

You sprint down the streets of your home city of Boston towards the nearest entrance to the subway station. You're a blur as you buy a ticket and enter the subway station, hurriedly getting on the transit to get to your destination.

Get off the transit and get to the convention!

You dart off of the transit as soon as it stops, people giving you strange looks as you weave through the crowd, undoubtedly from the large fake mace slung across your shoulder and the fact that you look like a fifth grader dressed in strange pajamas. You run towards the convention center, stopping as it comes into full view. Your eyes widen as you look up at the building, and your mouth opens a bit.

Among the excitement building in your chest, you have the feeling that it's going to be a long, long day.

* * *

[Surprise!]

Find and seek Arc – Begin

Chapter One

I nearly sulk as I walk around the outside area of the convention, which is highly populated still. I had been walking around and while I was walking down the stairs, my iPad had somehow fallen out of my backpack and wouldn't turn on again. I let out a small 'eep' as someone bumps into me among the masses of people, and I feel a paper being pushed into my hand.

I blink and look to see who bumped into me but I can't tell who it was among the masses. I looked down at the paper in my hand in a confused manner, trying to read the scribbled handwriting.

Find the Homestuck characters and bring them to the Auditorium by 5:00 PM and receive your reward!

Hint – The first one you find will be in the meet-up area.

My mood suddenly brightens up – it must have been a 'secret' convention game planned by the other Homestucks! I started walking towards the front of the building, and I saw a Homestuck dressed as pre-game Jade handing out papers. I walked over to her and she greeted me with a smile.

"Hey there!" She said brightly, and I smiled back.

"Hi!" I said, smiling back at her brightly. "Could you point me in the direction of the Homestuck Meet-up?" I asked, and she nodded, handing me one of the papers.

"Have a good day!" She said brightly and I told her the same. I walked over to the meet-up area (where there were some sort of weird locker things) and scanned the small crowd of people anxiously. That's when I heard him.

"Has anyone seen Jake?!" He shouted, and I looked on top of the locker things to see a Dirk Strider Cosplayer. I smiled and scaled the locker things with relative ease, pulling my hood up to hide my hair before greeting the Dirk Cosplayer.

"Dirk, I need you to come with me." I say quietly, trying to keep a grin from my face as I do so, my eyes hidden by the shadow of my hood. "We need to find the others." I add on for good measure. This is definitely the guy I'm supposed to be looking for, because he whips his head around, his shaded eyes looking directly at me.

"So you're the one who brought us here." He says, and before I can register what's happening, a sword that was DEFINITELY not there before was being pressed against my neck and I yelp, taking a step back as the crowd cheers 'strife'!

"What the actual fuck?!" I yelp, my hood falling from my face as I nearly drop my mace, which suddenly feels much heavier than it used to. It was probably the fear because holy shit that sword is real.

"Where are the others?" He growls menacingly and I fall on my butt, tears pricking the corners of my eyes and my mace falls to the ground with a clank of metal and wood. I am suddenly so confused and scared that my mace is suddenly real, the guy in front of me has just capchalogued my goddamn mace and the crowd had somehow lost interest before he did it.

"Wh-what?" I whisper frantically, suddenly scared out of my mind because I have no idea how but this Dirk is the real guy. "Y-You're the real Dirk?!" I nearly scream (but manage to keep it to a whisper), before placing my hands over my face and trying not to cry.

"Who else would I be?" he asks and I rock myself back and forth for a second, before taking a deep breath and looking up.

"Apparently you're the real deal." I say shakily, standing up with my hands up. I faintly hear a pinging sound in my backpack, which is really strange because the only thing that could have done that was my iPad, and it's broken.

"Dirk, you don't know me but you need to know something." I say slowly, and he nods, but doesn't move the sword. "As you can obviously tell, you're not in the game anymore – you're in a different world." Another nod. "In this world, you and everyone else are fictional. I- I have this paper that someone gave to me earlier, I think whoever brought you here wants me to bring you and your friends to the large theater area, and maybe they'll know what's going on.

"But right now the two of us need to find your friends and the people you don't know yet I guess." He nods and his sword disappears into his strife deck. I nearly sigh in relief, before extending my hand out to him.

"Alright but where are we going to start?" He asks, obviously believing me, and I nearly sigh in relief again.

"Well, we could start by walking around the main lobby." I suggest, shrugging slightly. "We might bump into one of the others, and if not we're sure to hear some sort of gossip about them – I mean, it's not every day that you see a really cool Cosplayer that is doing something weird or something."

Dirk nods and hops off of the locker things, and I smile, jumping down and landing on my feet with all of the agility that pays off from taking gymnastics for most of your life. I smile and start walking towards the main entrance – better to start in the main entrance and work our way around. I feel slight pins and needles in my hands – but I blame it on anxiety and simply brush it away. As I look around the lobby – jam packed with people I may add – I frown at the realization that I can't see over almost anyone at my feeble height of four feet and eleven inches.

Thankfully, I manage to spot a pair of white dog ears that look remarkably real in the sea of people.

Jade.

Thankfully Jade was pretty tall – almost taller than Dirk and he looked around six feet tall, though he was very lanky admittedly. Jade's messy ebony hair wasn't the easiest to spot, but it made seeing her ivory dog ears much easier – especially how real they looked. I smiled and darted towards her, utilizing my small height to get through the crowd and leaving Dirk in my dust. I wrap my arms around Jade's waist and stop her in her tracks.

"Jade!" I exclaim, pulling back from her once I've stopped.

"Do I know you..?" She asks politely, and I smile, shaking my head.

"Nope!" I say with a smile, looking around for Dirk. "Do you see Dirk? I'll have him explain as we walk." I say with a smile, trying to get a look around just as Dirk finally emerges from the crowd. I take the two of them by the hands, quickly pulling them through the crowd towards a more empty area. Dirk is briefly explaining what's going on to Jade behind me as I stop, dropping their hands and swinging my backpack around and sitting down on an empty bench.

I hum as I look through my backpack, Jade and Dirk looking at me curiously. I pull out a granola bar, unwrapping it and sticking it in my mouth quickly as I feel the pins and needles spreading to my feet as well. I also pull out my iPad, surprised to see it back on. I eat the granola bar as I study it, turning it on to see that a new app has appeared.

"Hmm? That's weird." I mutter after swallowing the rest of my granola bar. "Coulda sworn this thing broke earlier…" I trail off. I check pesterchum, blinking when I see that two new handles are online –timeausTestified and gardenGnostic. Jade and Dirk's handles are online now.

I shrug and open the new app – it has the Sburb logo on it, but its split down the middle, one in a forest green and the other in my own ice blue. I frown but brush it off and look through the app. It takes a moment to load, in which Dirk and Jade are attempting to talk to me, but I'm a stubborn girl, and refuse to speak until I've found out what this app is. The loading screen is exactly like the one that I've seen for Sburb, and for a moment I almost wonder if it's really the game in disguise.

I'm suddenly taken to a screen that is exactly like the Echeladder, except it has a sprite version of myself on it, dressed in my god tier clothing. I have unlocked two tiers, Newborn and Tiny tot, and I suddenly have one hundred Boondollars in my cache. It says my Vitality Gel has gone up by five, indicating that it is now still five. I look at the next screen, which is full of blank chumhandles and trollian tags, other than the two that are Jade and Dirk's handles.

My iPad is yanked from my hands suddenly, and I look up to see Dirk holding it, his face blank.

"Hey!" I exclaim, jumping up and standing on the bench, trying to take the iPad back from him, but he holds it over his head.

"We need to find our friends, not play on electronics." Dirk says and I pout, before sighing and nodding.

"Alright, give it over so I can put it away at least?" I ask, and Dirk nods, handing the iPad back, which I place in my backpack.

"So where should we start looking?" Jade asks, and I frown, before pulling out the convention map from my backpack, spreading it out and looking over it.

"Well, it says that the closest areas are the mixer to our left, the Pokémon area to our right, and just past that is the Twilight panel that will be opening in fifteen minutes, and an Adventure Time panel just past that." I say, thinking on it as I put away my map.

"We should find Jake first." Dirk says and I shrug.

"Alright but where could he-"

"…"

"…"

"Let's go."

I dart away, weaving my way through the crowd and towards the Adventure Time panel with ease, and I hear Dirk curse behind me, and Jade give an 'oomf', before I turn around to wait for them. When they catch up, I begin weaving my way through the crowd once more, straight to the Adventure Time panel. Once Jade and Dirk catch up, I enter the panel as quietly as possible, shushing the two behind me. I scan the crowd, spotting a couple of potential Jake's, before looking at Dirk.

"Do you see him?" I whisper, and he shakes his head. I frown and take a deep breath, steeling myself against the embarrassment about to come.

"WHAT TIME IS IT?" I screech, and everyone stops to look at me.

"ADVENTURE TIME!" I hear a single voice yell excitedly down in the middle row, right on the edge. I don't know how we didn't see him before, as he's dressed in his Page outfit still. I run down and grab Jake by the arm, pulling him out of the Panel as fast as possible.

When I get outside I bury my face in my hands, my face a bright red. I hear Dirk and Jake talking, and I take the time to compose myself before grabbing the map again. I leave it folded up and clear my throat, before opening it again.

"So to our right is the Gaming Center, and to our direct left is a Twilight Panel that is about fifteen minutes through right now.


	9. Gates - Fullmetal Alchemist

Real AN: In case you're wondering, most of the chapters i've posted from 7 on, are chapters i've never posted to fanfiction. Also i have...no idea what this is i'll be honest. Chapter one got corrupted so this is all i have of this

* * *

Prologue

I used to be a normal girl, before all of this happened. Well, as normal as you can get as an assassin. What happened you ask? Well, I'll tell you. And if you don't want to hear, well you're going to anyway.

I had been…. Doing something. Okay, I don't exactly remember what, due to the fact that I lost my memory, like in some cliché fanfiction. I remember a little about home, no details, but I have 'feelings' of a sort, 'hunches' I guess you could call them. I'll come close to remembering something, then I lose it.

Anyway, I had been a normal girl before; a family, friends, school, the whole bit! But then, one day something awful happened. I remember it clearly, though the rest of my memory is blurry. I had been crossing the street, and, having looked both ways first, had deemed it safe to cross. But then… Let me explain something first.

I didn't exactly live in a crime free neighborhood. There were many nights where I would fall asleep to the sounds of gunshots and sirens. I also lied when I said I was a normal girl. I was anything but.

Well, I had been walking with someone, someone familiar. Though I couldn't tell you who, I knew it was a friend or something. I had been wearing black boots, form-fitting pants, a black tanktop, and a bright red coat that fell to the ground and had a hood. They called me 'The Little Red Executioness', because I was some sort of assassin or thief or something. How do I know this? Simple. I had my 'executioner's journal' in the pocket of my coat. It held my information, techniques, and weapon designs.

Anyway, I had been walking, when a car sped down the road, and with no warning, came barreling towards me. My heart had nearly stopped, but my friend pushed me out of the way, the both of us landing on the side of the road in a heap. I had laughed, and patted myself down, glad to be alive, as I picked up my glasses from the ground, the square frame was black, and the lens were kind of thin. I had only just placed them on my face, when there was a loud sound, as loud as a gunshot. In fact, it WAS a gun shot, and that sound came with a bullet. And that bullet had just went straight through my chest.

Everything had gone black, and I had fallen asleep for good, the only sounds were that of screams. Whether they were my own, or someone else's, they were soon cut short. When I finally woke up, I was in front of a gate, the form of a figure made of shadow in front of me. I recognized this as 'the gate' and the only thing that I remember after that is passing through it.

To be honest, that's all I can remember. I just hope that this amnesia doesn't cause me more harm than it already has.


	10. Triple The Trouble - FE:A

AN: i don't have much so have the little bit plus characters

* * *

Memory, Friendship, love.

Such simple, easy words to say, with simple meanings, though those meanings can hold deeper, darker undertones.

I never really understood what those simple, easy words meant, not until I met them.

The shepherds.

The country of Ylisse's protectors and guardians.

They showed me camaraderie and friendship, love, and they gave me my favorite memories.

The same can be said for my two siblings, the other two that were forced into this damned destiny that was shoved upon our shoulders.

Perhaps I should start for the beginning, from the very start of this tale filled with twists and turns.

* * *

"Chrom….we have to do SOMETHING."

"What do you suppose we do, then?

"I….I dunno.."

My eyes flickered open, settling on

* * *

Robin

Hair: grey-silver, ponytail with bangs falling to her chest on each side.

Eye: Dark Brown

Height: only slightly shorter than Chrom

Birthday: November 18th

Associated Color: Light, Baby blue

Skills: Ignis, Lock touch, Vengence, Galeforce, Life taker

Class: Tactician - Grandmaster - Dark Flier

Place: Tactician of the Shepherds

Husband (eventual): Chrom

Children: Lucina, Morgan (Female) Marco (Male morgan) (Marco and Morgan are twins)

Sparrow

Hair: Light hair, style is first option

Eye: Black

Height: Same height as Chrom

Birthday: November 18th

Associated Color: Forest Green

Skills: Ignis, Counter, Vengance, Life taker, Lock touch

Class: Myrmidon - Assassin

Place: Swordsman, usually pairs up with Lon'qu

Wife: Olivia

Children: Inigo, Angelina

Lenna

Hair: Golden, chin length

Eye: Amber colored

Height: Lissa's height

Birthday: November 18th

Associated Color: Crimson

Skills: Beastbane, Lock Touch, Vengance, Lifetaker, Lethiality

Class: Taguel (lion)

Place: Front lines, Usually pairs up with either Henry or Panne

Husband: Henry

Children: Raven (female), Leon (male)

Morgan

Class: Pegasus Knight - Dark flier

Skills: Aether, Speed +2, Relief, Galeforce, Lifetaker

Associated color: Blue

Husband: Brady

Parents: Robin and Chrom

Siblings: Lucina and Marco

Marco

Class: Tactician - Grand Master

Skills: Rightful King, Solidarity, Veteran, Galeforce, Ignis

Associated color: Blue

Wife: Cynthia

Parents: Chrom and Robin

Siblings: Lucina and Morgan

Leon

Hair: Gold

Eye: Dark brown

Class: Taguel (lion)

Skills: Beast bane, Hex, Life taker, Even Rhythm, Vengance

Associated Color: Dark Purple

Wife: Nah

Parents: Lenna and Henry

Sibling: Raven

Raven

Hair: Black

Eye: Amber

Class: Dark Mage - Sorcerer

Skills: Hex, Anathema, Beast bane, Vengance, Life taker

Associated Color: Scarlet

Husband: Owain

Parents: Lenna and Henry

Sibling: Leon

Angelina

Hair: pink

Eye: Black

Class: Dancer

Skills: Luck +4, Special Dance, Ignis, Lethality, Vengance

Associated Color: Pale yellow

Husband: Laurent

Parents: Sparrow and Olivia

Sibling: Inigo


	11. Dark Flames - DragonFable

AN oh god this is so edgy

* * *

Prologue

The flames burned high and hot around me, burning dark and black from the evil power that was used to create it. It is seemingly toying with me as I backed away from the door, which was ablaze with flames. I screamed in pain, as my hand was set aflame, and fell to the floor. Wasn't fire not supposed to burn Pyromancers? Flames were supposed to make us more powerful, not weaker. Then why did it hurt so much? I could hear my mother's screams from behind me, urging me to run, to hide. I could hear my father's yells of anguish, as his skin was burned. I could hear the slow, steady footsteps of the flame bandits, evil Pyromancers who attacked us in the middle of the night.

Cinder, my friend, a little flame elemental, was by my side, making the flames into a shield for me. I rammed my shoulder into the door, over, and over again, trying to force it open. Eventually the door splintered, and I burst into the cold night air. Gasping, I fell to the ground, clutching the bleeding wound on my side. Cinder pulled me up, and into his arms. We sped away, into the night as I watched my old home burn, and my old life fade away.

I'm only seven years old, and my life has already been turned upside down. My mother is most likely dead, or under the control of the Dark flame bandits, and my Father is probably burned to a crisp. Why has this happened to me, of all people?

* * *

Chapter 1

My body aches, as I punch and kick, bite and scream, and thrash against my captors. This is my usual daily routine. It has been three years since the Dark Flame Bandits attacked my home, the evil Pyromancers burned my house to the ground, and took control of my mother, who was a flame elemental. My father was an extremely powerful Pyromancer, and he taught me everything he knew. Cinder had been killed not even two weeks after we escaped, but I had managed to get by on my own. I doubt anyone would come to search for me, because I don't know anyone. Well, there was my father's old teacher Brump, but I hadn't seen him since I was three.

I had been traveling, when the Dark Flame Bandits attacked me, and decided to sell me as a pet or something to some Pyromancer in Swordhaven. They dragged me behind them as they walked, not even caring if I was being hurt. Every so often they would decide to knock me out, and carry me.

Though that all ends today. I'm standing now, looking at the man in front of me with hatred. He is the captain of the bandits, and has been the bane of my existence for years now. I can hear the punch fly through the air, and I dodge it perfectly, even though I'm tied up. I jump through the air, and send him flying by slamming my shin into his face. I snarl, and whip around swinging my leg behind me as another bandit comes to intervene. I let the flames that I set the camp ablaze with rise, and grow hotter, brighter, burning with my hatred.

My cruel and twisted laughter fills the camp, as I dodge and kick, my body ablaze with the flames of madness that has been unlocked. You see, the captain has tried to do something he really should not have tried. He tried something very, very bad that I can't even bear to think. I snapped, and the gem that is in the middle of my forehead, the one that locks away the madness, the desire to burn everything that lies in my path to a crisp, has activated.

I'm very unstable, mentally and physically, because I am half-elemental. It's no excuse for the things that I have done, and I cannot justify it, but I know that I'm not in my right mind during those times. That's why, now that I'm out of danger, I snap back into my regular mind. I look around, and gasp. I know that it is I that has done this, and I'm ashamed. I turn my back on the bandits' camp, and run. It's all I have ever done, ever since I was little, I have run away from my problems, because I'm scared. Not of what will happen to me, but others. If I snap, I could accidentally hurt someone. I've gotten better at controlling it, much better in fact. I only snap in extreme situations.

The cool night air feels good against my bare skin, still hot with the heat from the Dark Fire that the bandits' used for everything. After a while, the flames from the camp have disappeared from view, and a while back I abandoned the path. I don't have any clothes, except for the dirty white dress that falls halfway down my thighs. I'm shivering now, and the night air is extremely cold. I know that I have to find somewhere to stay for a while, or I could die of the cold. Eventually I find a run-down old cabin, with a healing pad in it.

There are some broken (and not broken) jars and chairs and stuff, so I hide behind them, and fall asleep.

I wake with a start, and look around, not really knowing where I was. Then my memory came back, and sobs start to rack my body. My mother told me that I had to be strong, and to let someone make me cry was a sign of weakness. So I did what my mother taught me to do in these situations. Do something to take your mind off of the problem. That was also what she said to do when I was angry, or any other negative emotion, so I wouldn't snap, or accidentally hurt someone with a stray flame or two.

My favorite thing to do was sing, just like my mother used to do when I would cry, or was upset. So I sang the song my mother taught me for when I was feeling alone and upset.

Hello, hello

anybody out there?

'cause I don't hear a sound

alone, alone

I don't really know where the world is but I miss it now

I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name

like a fool at the top of my lungs

sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright

but it's never enough

cause my echo, echo

is the only voice coming back

my shadow, shadow

is the only friend that I have

listen, listen

I would take a whisper if

that's all you have to give

but it isn't, isn't

you could come and save me

try to chase it crazy right out of my head

I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name

like a fool at the top of my lungs

sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright

but it's never enough

cause my echo, echo

is the only voice coming back

my shadow, shadow

is the only friend that I have

I don't wanna be down and

I just wanna feel alive and

get to see your face again once again

Just my echo, my shadow

you're my only friend

I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name

like a fool at the top of my lungs

sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright

but it's never enough

cause my echo, echo

oh my shadow, shadow

Hello, hello

anybody out there?

I let the last word ring, as my voice died with the end of the song.


	12. Weaver of Souls - DragonFable

AN: i have...no idea. No idea. Just...just take this shame. The second one that says "chapter one" is supposedly "fixed" according to young me so idk

* * *

Prologue

There was cruel laughter behind me as I ran, my bare feet pounding against the cold ground. It was just far enough away that the owner of the laugh couldn't grab me, but close enough to scare me. I couldn't stop running, nor could I think of why I was running. Both would be the end of me. I could hear the cold, cruel laughter behind me, making sure to torment me, confuse me, along with scare the absolute crap out of me. My deep blue eyes were wide in fear, as I felt something hit me from behind, knocking my dark blue, already beat up and loose, armor off of me. I heard the cruel laughter again, as I got up and ran. This was truly the predator playing with its prey.

I had known that it was a bad idea to sneak into Ravenloss without someone else, I should've asked someone, but it was too late now. No one even knew I was gone, and probably wouldn't. Hell, I've been gone for weeks at a time without anyone noticing. No one would even miss me. Apparently the one who was chasing me was tired of this little game. I let out a small scream, as I was hit from behind, and fell to the ground, my black tank top and pants drenched from the fountain I had fallen in not even five minutes ago. I was shivering, soaking wet, and cold. My waist length (many shades of) blue hair was plastered to my face,

The laughter came again, cruel and mocking. "Ha-ha, little hero, I guess you proved to be interesting so far, but I'm tired of this game. You insulted me, and I do not tolerate that." The spirit loomed over my shivering figure, as a stream of tears went down my face.

"Oh y-yeah?" I said, between my chattering teeth. Hell, if I'm gonna die, I'm not going quietly. "You know, I don't know quite how anyone could take that over-inflated ego of yours, nor how your head can even fit through the door. I may have insulted you, by telling you off in front of your little flunkies, but I have sown the seed of doubt." I said, making up a story as I went along. I'm good at that. "Your stupid little underlings will start thinking about what I've said, and just killing me will make it seem like you're covering something up. They'll start to wonder what you've hidden, and when you kill them for insulting you, that doubt will grow even larger, until you have a full-scale uprising on your hands. Then what will you do, when you no longer have any little underlings left, to do your dirty work, hmm?"

By the look on the idiots face, I could tell that I wasn't going to convince him, but hell, when did I start caring about that? "You insolent little girl!" the spirit shouted, slapping me. Hard.

I spat the blood onto his face, and grinned cheekily. "See, it just proves my point even more. You don't even have the guts to face someone who has power more at your level; you're just a freaking coward." I spat, and growled. A new fire burned through me, as I glared menacingly at the corrupted spirit. "I absolutely despise cowards like you, who would pick on a child. A child that simply said some off-handed comment, who wasn't even insulting you. Then you get mad at the child for doing something like telling you off, and then you try and kill them? Nuh-uh pal, I don't take kindly to someone like you. Besides, you're a corrupted elemental spirit. I'm not going to let you walk around freely. I'm most likely going to die from this, but I ain't going without a fight." I growled, my eyes glowing white and yellow, with the intensity of the sun. My body started to glow as well, burning the spirit.

"What is this?" he growled, looking at me incredulously.

"This, you stupid fool, is the wrath of the child of a Paladin, who was once infused with the elemental orb of light! You can't get away without a fight!" I shouted, my body suspended in the air. "This will most likely kill me, but I'll be sure to kill you as well!" I roared as my entire body was suspended in the air, my skin glowing with white light like a miniature sun. The light burned through me, and I felt like I was on fire. I could feel it burning through me like an inferno. I screamed in agony, as the light turned into a bubble, surrounding me.

I almost cried from the relief that I felt when the light left my body, and turned into the bubble. The bubble of light formed into many spears and daggers, that all aimed toward Pride, along with tendrils of light, that wrapped around his body. I flung every last weapon of light into his body, just as my father had taught me. He had taught me this spell only in case of an emergency, and even then only as a last resort. I put every last ounce of strength into the attack, and as the weapons hit him one by one, slowly killing him, I felt my strength leave me. I saw him disappear into nothing, as I fell through the air. I smiled, one last time, as my body plummeted towards the ground, and the soft blanket of oblivion, swallowed me whole.

(Preview of the next chapter)

"Are you sure that's all you remember from two days ago?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I have all of my memory, it's right there. I just don't remember you being there."

"You must have been half conscious then."

"Yeah. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. The name's Caerula. Caerula Argentum."

* * *

Chapter 1 – New beginnings.

I slowly came to, and was aware that my head was pounding, and my body felt like lead. I slowly opened my eyes, and soft candlelight brightened the room. "Oh! You're awake! How do you feel dear?" a kind voice asked, and I looked to the right.

I squinted, and could make out a womanly figure, dressed in white. "Wh….Where am I?" I asked, black specks dotting my vision as I slowly sat up.

The woman rushed over to me, pushing me back down onto the bed. "Don't sit up dear; you're still weak from all the mana you used up with that little stunt of yours." She scolded, as I kept trying to get up.

"Help me sit up then at least, or I'm just going to keep struggling until I pass out or something," I said, looking at her.

She sighed, but helped me up nonetheless. "Fine, but just sit there for now. If you strain yourself, you're just going to regret it." She said, turning her back on me, and I rolled my eyes. "Don't think I don't know you're rolling your eyes dear."

I grinned sheepishly, as she turned back to me, a clipboard in her hand. She pulled a chair up next to me, and smiled. "Okay, so can you answer my question please? Where am I?" I asked, lacing my fingers together.

She smiled gently at me. "Okay, but then you have to answer some questions for me, so I know what happened." She said, lifting her right leg over her left. "You're in Edelia, the school for SoulWeavers, in the infirmary to be exact. You were brought in two days ago by a boy named Tomix. He saw you fighting the corrupted elemental spirit pride, and kill him. He brought you in, after you fainted."

My eyes went wide, and my mouth hung open. "I've been asleep for two days?" I asked disbelief plain in my voice.

"Yes, you have. If you don't mind my asking, where is your father, or your mother?" she asked gently, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I turned my face into a mask, not letting any emotion on my face. "They died when I was seven. I don't know the details." I said calmly.

"Who do you live with then?" she asked, pity on her face.

The pity that was evident was on her face, angered me. I had had enough of the pity. I didn't let it show though, I just crossed my arms. "I used to live with a family friend, with two of my cousins. I live on my own now though."

She smiled, and looked at her clipboard. "What were you doing before the fight with pride?"

"I snuck into Ravenloss, and I've been there for two weeks. I left a note in my house, but it's not like anyone was gonna care." I snorted, crossing my arms.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Well, I mean that I've been gone for weeks at a time, and no one has bothered to look for me. It's only after the town gets invaded by random undead, that they look for me. I'm the only one with paladin training in the area. They come crying back to me for help, and then treat me like shhhh-crap." I said lamely, trying not to cuss in front of the nice woman.

"Why do they do that?"

"Because I'm a freak to them. My father was a Paladin, he loved to slay undead. He could do it for hours on end, he was even infused with the elemental orb of light once." I smiled. "My mother was a SoulWeaver, and she was amazing at it. She would teach me about SoulWeaving for hours on end. I loved it. I showed natural talent for both a SoulWeaver, and a Paladin. I learned both as best as I could as well. My mother had just helped me in making my first SpiritLooms, before she died, and my Father had just given me my first axe. I was treated badly because I could do things that they couldn't. They were scared of what I could do. I lived in a very anti-magic type of town. The valued science more than anything, but relied on magic for many things." I said, rambling a bit. "Oh, I'm sorry, I started rambling again." I sheepishly grinned.

"That's alright dear. Did you have your SpiritLooms with you?"

"No, I usually just run from the ChaosWeavers, then trap them and use a really powerful spell to kill them off." I said, running a hand through my hair with my eyes closed, sighing.

"Alright, now I know most of these questions will be either embarrassing, or obvious, but I am required to ask," She said, still smiling. I nodded, and waited for the first question. "What color is your hair and eyes?" she asked, looking at her clipboard.

I sighed, and ran a hand through my hair. "My hair is dark blue with other natural blue highlights. It's the same with my eyes, they're many shades of blue, and it's all natural. That's why my mother named me Caerula. It means 'Deep blue' in some old language she learned many years ago." I said.

Her smile faded, and she got up, and looked for something. she soon came back with a mirror in her hand.

* * *

Chapter 1: Old friends, and new ones.

It was a bright day in Falconreach, the sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. It was truly a wonderful day. A girl, around the age of nineteen, stretched, yawning and got out bed, her crimson hair ruffled from sleep. Her dark red eyes scan the room for her armor, and upon seeing it in the corner, she gathers it all up, and then takes a long bath, cleaning herself up for the day. She puts on her Paladin's armor, and sets off for Doomwood. The only problem is that this girl is not me. No, this is one of my two best friends, Rubebant, or, as she likes to be called, Ruby. No, I'm the girl whose house is in Doomwood, but is rarely used. No, currently, I am in Ravenloss. Yes, Ravenloss.

"Caerula, it's time to wake up." A voice says, gently shaking my shoulder.

"No…. it's too early….. go 'way Aegis…." I mumble, turning onto my other side.

I hear someone chuckle, and say something, but I was almost asleep, and didn't hear it. That's when two or three ice cubes were placed inside my shirt. I jumped up, shrieking. "I'm up I'm up!" as soon as the offending ice cubes were out of my shirt, I sat onto the ground, my silver hair spiking around me. Pale pink eyes glared at the light blue spirit, and pale lips were curled up in a snarl.

Aegis chuckled, and I heard a snicker come from behind me, as I hit him gently on the head. My head snapped around, to see Tomix standing there, looking as if he was forcibly suppressing a chuckle. I glared at him, and threw a rock at his head. "And what are you laughing at, huh? You're next!" I shouted, tackling him to the ground. I had him pinned down, but Aegis pulled me off of him. These were two of my best friends, (that are male, of course) and so I pouted, crossing my arms. Looking at Tomix now, makes it hard to believe that he saved me from pride only eight years ago. It feels like I've known him most of my life. Which, technically isn't a lie, I have known him for eight years.

I sighed, and grabbed my SoulWeaver gear from the ground, where I had been sleeping. I pulled it on over my dark blue tank top, and slightly darker blue shorts. I stretched, and asked; "So, where we heading today, 'O great one'." I said sarcastically, pulling my long white hair into a ponytail.

"We aren't going anywhere. You are going to go and get some fresh air and sun in Falconreach. Your aunt paid a visit while you were sleeping as well. She asked for you and I to visit her." He said, but grumbled the last part out.

"Ah, I see, so you're just going to ignore old aunt Argentum's invite? How awful Tomix! And to think she adores you so. Tsk tsk." I mocked, shaking my head in (feigned) disbelief.

He growled slightly. "I didn't say I wasn't going to go, I said that you were going to gather the others, which includes Artix and Zhoom, by the way, and then come back here to get me. I'd like to watch around here as long as possible." He grumbled, looking angry. I laughed, and nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll call in a favor or two, and get someone to watch over Ravenloss while we're gone." I shouted back to him, as Aegis and I went to the portal that leads to Falconreach. I waved back, as Tomix disappeared from sight.

Sighing, I stepped off the portal, and made my way to the guardian tower, where the griffin was. I could feel the stares on my back as I walked by, along with angry glares, and I could hear the snarls of those who had been wronged by a SoulWeaver, or were simply afraid of us. I stared impassively in front of me, and Aegis just ignored it.

Soon enough the griffin was in sight, and I sat in the front. Aegis looked like he felt out of place. I gently motioned him over, and helped him onto the griffin. None too soon, I had already set off for Doomwood, or, to be more precise, the Necropolis. Artix and Ruby were in view within minutes of landing, along with Flamma, Ruby's crimson toddler dragon.

An undead appeared behind me, but I dispatched it with a quick thrust from my SpiritLooms, which were glowing a bright yellow from the light energy I had set them to. "Yo! Rubes! Artix! I'm here~" I shouted, waving big, as the two paladins cut their way through the undead, stopping only once they were gone.

"Hey there Caerula!" Ruby shouted,


	13. Flaming Tempest - Fairy Tail

AN: WHY IS IT ALWAYS FUCKING KANA GOD DAMNIT

Also this has two versions, one that's the original the the second draft, so when you see the XoX in bold, that's how you know you're at the second version. Also featuring character bios

* * *

Prologue

I was running, running from my past, from my future, and my present. I could hear the pounding footsteps of my friends behind me, and behind them, the gunshots that rung throughout the town. I could hear the barking of dogs, and the screeching of tires on concrete. I could hear the thumps of bodies hitting the ground, innocent men, women and children, who had simply been caught in the crossfire. I felt sorry for them; sad that they had to die like this, but I would not go back, no matter how many deaths' I had on my hands. I'm selfish that way, but I had been kept there for too long, and never again would I go back.

I could see my destination in front of me; a swirling vortex of colors, that would take me far away from here, to another world in fact. You see, all anime is real. All of it. Each series was created by someone who had gone to that world, at some point in time, (because you can never know where or when you'll end up) and took down everything from that world. My friends and I had been to many of these worlds, via portal, and we decided that we would escape to one.

I could hear the gunshots getting closer now, and so my friends and I speed up. My sister was close by me now, her white/silver hair flashing. She's my twin, but we look almost nothing alike. She has silver/white hair, blue/green eyes, and her hair falls to her waist. My hair is dark brown, with natural light brown/blonde highlights, I have green eyes, (that sometimes turn blue, depending on the light) and my hair falls to my shoulder blades. We look exactly alike other than that. We even have a scar running over our left eyes. A little gift from our parents, as we were labeled as freaks because of them.

Anyway, she grabbed my hand, and pulled me to the side, just in time for a bullet to whiz by. I heard another gun shot, and then a thump, as someone behind me fell to the ground. I heard the same thing two more times, and I tried to look back, but Ariella kept me from doing so. She tugged me forward, and pushed me through the portal, trying to keep me from looking back. It was too late though. I looked back, just as we went through, and saw my friends lying there, still. Too still. But before I could do anything, I was enveloped in darkness.

I launched out of bed, effectively waking up my sister on accident. I couldn't tell what was going on through the fog that enveloped my brain. I thought it was still that night, over thirteen years ago. I thought my sister and I were still running through the town on our three year old legs, our three best friends running behind us, and then falling, never to stand again. I could hear the gunshots echoing around me, the screams of the doomed, and the thumps of bodies falling. I could see the red blood that painted the ground, and stained the clothes of the unfortunate. I could hear my own screams of agony, for the lost, and for my friends, who had died needlessly. I could feel Ariella's arms wrap around me, as she rocked me back and forth, something we always did for each other, whenever we had a nightmare. I could feel the hot tears that ran down my cheeks, and hers. I was slowly coming to, out of the nightmare that had been all too real, that I had been reliving. I finally calmed down, fell back asleep, and thankfully had no nightmares, nor dreams.

Once Kana had finally calmed down, and fell back asleep, I set her down, and got dressed, knowing that our neighbors were going to come running any moment. I went outside, and sat there, waiting. Soon enough, I spotted the pink head of hair, running towards me. I walked calmly up to him, and explained that Kana had just had a bad nightmare, and thought she was still in it when she woke up. Eventually I got him to calm down, and go back to his home. My cat, Caerula, landed on my shoulder, her soft dark blue fur smelled like rain, one of my favorite smells. I took deep breaths, and walked back inside.

* * *

AN: This is a 'Secondary prologue' pretty much. They story actually starts in the next chapter.

Chapter 1: A new girl two new girls.

It was a bright, sunny day in Magnolia. The sun was shining high in the sky, the birds were chirping, and children were running about, as a nice breeze blew. The members of Fairy Tail were perhaps the happiest, though. They were going on a picnic in South Gate Park. They were having fun, eating together on the ground, when there was a flash of white and dark brown, and a flash of white and silver whizzed through the clearing, and two baskets full of food were gone.

They looked up, to see two nine year old girls, with plain white clothes on, which were covered with dirt and grime. They ran fast, quickly retreating into the distance. The members of Fairy Tail quickly gave chase, running after the children. They girls abruptly stopped, and turned around. They snarled at the guild, set the baskets down, and linked arms.

They spoke at the same time, almost as if they were used to it. "You might wanna leave, cause you can't handle a dark tsunami."

Fairy Tail protested, shouts of anger ringing out. They didn't leave. I mean, would you have? Threatened by two little girls that looked as if they didn't know how to fight. One with silver hair, and wearing a plain white dress that falls to her knees, with long sleeves. The other with short, shoulder blade length long dark brown hair, wearing a plain white long sleeved shirt, and pants. Both of the girls were covered in dirt and grime, most likely from playing in the mud.

They both sighed, and said; "We warned you." Before linking hands, and taking deep breaths. Fairy Tail could see the magic that swirled around them, one with shadows, and the other with water. They both gathered the magic around them, and released it, shouting; "Shadow and Water Dragon's roar! Dark Tsunami!" a large wave of swirling water filled with blades of shadow surrounded the guild members, and those that could blocked the attack. When the attack subsided, the little girl with brown hair was on the ground, a hand covering her mouth. She was coughing violently, and the girl with silver hair was trying to help her up.

"Kana, we gotta go. Like, right now. C'mon, you can't be having an attack now, not when we left the medicine behind! C'mon Kana! Get up, please!" She cried, looking scared. She hefted the girl, who was now known as Kana, onto her back, and tried to get away.

Fairy Tail did not let them though, instead, they formed a barrier, stopping them from escaping. The silver haired girl set Kana down, and took a deep breath. She gently shook her head, as if to clear it, and sat down next to her sister. Her hands moved to Kana's body, then her own, as if searching for something. She found what she was looking for, and pulled it out. It was a syringe filled with a blackish green liquid. She injected it into Kana's neck, and Kana gasped, taking in a lot of air.

Fairy Tail just stood there for a moment, before they bombarded the girls with questions. Such as 'Who are you', 'what was that magic', 'will you fight me?' and also; 'Are you alone?'

Kana was sitting up at this point, red blood dribbling down her chin, and staining her white clothes. She scooted closer to the silver haired girl, and they exchanged glances, nodded and spoke at the same time. "Calm down, calm down, we will answer your questions. First, our names."

Kana spoke first, smoothly, and calmly. "My name is Kana, Kana Shoto – Desavi."

The silver haired girl spoke next, in the same tone, perfectly mimicking her sister's voice. "My name is Ariella Shoto – Desavi, and Kana and I are twins."

They scooted even closer, as two cats flew down, looking a lot like Happy. One was a deep blue, with many different shades of blue mixing in. The other was pure black, with grey eyes. The blue one landed on Ariella's head, the black one landing on Kana's head. The blue on spoke first, in a lilting tone, like a gentle wave from the sea pushing against the beach. "My name is Caerula, and I'm Ariella's cat/partner."

The black one spoke next, in a mysterious, yet kind voice. "My name is Shadow; I'm Kana's cat/partner. If you even think about touching her, then I'll hurt you…"

Kana spoke next, a blank expression on her face. "The magic you saw was our two main magic's combined. The shadowy stuff was my magic; the water was Ari's. I use Shadow dragon slayer magic, while Ari uses Water dragon slayer magic. We both use ice make magic though, as our secondary magic."

Ariella glared at her sister, and they seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes. After a few minutes, Ariella sighed, and nodded.

Kana looked back, a victorious look in her eye, while Ariella's was a mix of anger and annoyance. "We live on our own, that's why we stole your food. We're sorry about that, by the way. Oh, and before you ask, yes, we live in a house, we built it ourselves actually. Yes, I will fight you, to whoever said that, by the way."

Ariella glared at Kana again, and they seemed to battle in their minds again, and, once again, Kana was victorious. The guild felt sorry for the two girls, who were covered in dirt, and had several scratches on their faces. The master stepped forward, and asked; "Why did you tell us this?"

Kana smiled, showing sharp fangs. "Well, I can tell that you're a guild, and a good one at that. Ari and I have thought it over, and we want to join you please! We're really strong, and we can only get stronger with more practice! We're even well known! We've been called 'The Slayer Sisters', 'the terrifying twins', and 'The Devilish Dragons!" she said enthusiastically, her eyes bright with hope.

The master let them into the guild, where they each got their guild marks on their right shoulders. Ariella's mark was a dark blue, Kana's a dark green. They all grew a close relationship with the

two girls, and every time that Kana returned from a mission, Natsu and Kana fought. They fit in nicely with the guild, and became S class wizards. Their true story starts when a celestial mage joins Fairy Tail.

* * *

Chapter 2

It was a bright shining day in Magnolia Town, as I made my way back to the guild. I yawned, and stretched, my bare feet hitting the ground in even steps. I was wearing a black tank top, and black shorts that go down to my knees. Shadow flew behind me, and landed on my head. I heard someone shout, "Uwahh! It's so big!" my mind immediately took it wrong, but when I saw that it was some new girl, and Natsu, my mind immediately turned to 'oh, never mind, it wasn't dirty.'

"Yo, flame breath!" I shouted, while jumping at Natsu, and kicking him in the face.

"Gah!" he shouted, landing on the ground. "Kana! What was that for?!"

"Oh, just a friendly greeting. Oh, and the fact that I haven't had a fight in a while." I said, helping him up. "But you'll have to wait for that rematch for a couple of days, 'cause I got injured pretty badly during my mission. Don't want to re-open any wounds." I said cheerily, while Shadow sighed from her perch atop my head.

I turned to the new girl, (I mean, who else could she be? You don't just show up at Fairy Tail, just to pop by and say hi unless you're another guild.) and was surprised to see that she had hearts in her eyes. The only thing I could think at first was, 'Whoa there missy, I don't swing that way.'

She fan-girl squealed, and said; "Ohmigosh! You're Kana Shoto-Desavi! The eldest of the Dark Tempest Twins! I've heard that you have over three magic's!"

I held my hands out, and told her to slow down, and gave her a smile. "Yeah, I'm Kana, The eldest of the Dark Tempest Twins, also known as 'The Dark Dragon.' I do have more than three magic's, though I don't just give them out. I will tell you the main ones I use, once you've actually become a member of Fairy Tail." I said, and at her confused look, I added "Hey, I don't give out information to those who aren't my comrades, but once you join, I'll be happy to fill you in on my magic, and introduce you to Ari."

She fan-girl squealed again, and said; "Really?! Ohmigosh! Thank you!"

I nodded, and Happy and I said in unison, almost as if rehearsed, a 'welcome to Fairy Tail!' I spoke again, as I usually did with any new member; "Life is an adventure, and these are the doors that lead to that adventure! Welcome to Fairy Tail! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a head or two ta kick in, as someone, as in Elfman, gave me false information on Skiadrum!" I growled the last part, opening the doors, and Natsu and I kicked two people in the head. I kicked Elfman, Natsu kicked someone else. We both kicked them for the same reasons though, that we had been given false information on our parents. Though, I was also looking for my brother, Rogue Cheney. Skiadrum raised us together, and he was like a little brother to me.

Within minutes the entire guild was caught up in a brawl, and I caught glimpses of the new girl every now and then. She seemed like she was taking the new experience in stride. Most people would run at the first chance they got. I saw Gray out of the corner of my eye, being an idiot. After a while of

fighting, the master intervened. With a loud 'cut it out!' he silenced everyone. He started going off about things everyone did, and I kind of spaced out until he said my name. "Kana Shoto-Desavi. You destroyed three towns near Lamia Scale, drank twenty barrels of alcohol and charged it to the council, along with beating up the man you were escorting and having him hospitalized. You also stopped by Lamia Scale, and beat up Ren, Hibiki and Eve."

I scratched the back of my head, and shouted back; "Oh, and you wouldn't have beat up that guy too if he decided to cop a feel when you weren't looking! And anyway, Those three idiots deserved it! I didn't get out of it completely uninjured either!"

He looked at me, and asked; "What about the three towns?"

"Well, you see, funny story, this guy tried to cop a couple of feels, and so I hit him. But how was I supposed to know that he was the leader of the town! And the other two towns was not my fault! I just dodged those dark guilds' attacks!" I shouted back indignantly.

He just went on, and said other names. "You guys just make the council angry at me!" he shouted, then stood there shaking. "but..." he said quietly, then spoke loudly again. "Forget about the Council members." He set the papers in his hands on fire, threw them at Natsu, and went on to this really cool speech, but I didn't listen, I just made my way through the crowd looking for the new girl. Eventually I found her, and stood next to her. I cheered loudly when everyone else did. afterwards, I walked her over to Mira, and watched her get her guild mark.

She tried to tell Natsu, but he just messed up her name. I looked back at Mira, after searching the tables. "Hey, Mir Onee-Chan?" I asked, using my usual nickname for her. The older girl looked at me, and smiled.

"Yes, Kana?" she asked, while drying some dishes.

Lucy walked over, and sat down next to me. "Is Ari here? I didn't see her…." I said, looking around for her, or Caerula.

I turned back to her, and she smiled a little sadly. "Oh, I'm sorry Kana, but she isn't back yet. When she gets back, I'm sure that she'll go straight home, and come here. If she comes back after you leave, or before you come in, I'll be sure to let her know you were looking for her." She said comfortingly.

I smiled back, and said; "Thanks Mira Onee-chan." I turned to Lucy, who was sitting there, looking a little grumpy. "hey, Lucy. I'll have to introduce you to Ari when she gets back, but I can tell you about my magic if you like." I said, trying to cheer her up. In the small amount of time I had known her, I had gotten to like Lucy, and She was nice. I didn't like that she was a girly girl, but still.

"Really?" she asked hopefully, and I just nodded.

"Yep. Go ahead and ask me some questions, oh, and they don't have to all be about my magic. I'll answer your questions the best I can." I said, giving a big smile, which was partially covered on the left side, because of my bangs.

"okay, so, there have been a lot of stories going around on why you keep your bangs over your left eye. Like, some people say it's just for fashion, others think it's because you don't have an eye. Could you tell me the truth?" she asked, going to one of the most common subjects people ask me about.

I smiled, and pulled my bangs back, revealing a long scar going down my left eye, from the halfway mark of my forehead, to the bottom of my cheek bone. "oh, that. Ari and I didn't exactly grow up in a good environment. It was a gift from the people who took care of me when I was around three. I got in trouble for something or another and the man took a knife to me and Ari's faces. I still have the eye, but I can't see out of it." I said nonchalantly.

She looked sympathetic, and asked another question. "What magic do you use then? I've heard that you can use celestial magic without keys." she was curious, if the tone in her voice was anything to go by.

"Well, my main magic is Shadow Dragon Slayer magic. I also use Ice magic and minor water magic, in case Ari needs something to eat during battle. It's true that I do use celestial magic without keys, but it's more like I can go to the celestial realm. I often use it to visit my mother, Lyra, and my father Scorpio." I said nonchalantly.

"YOUR PARENTS ARE CELESTIAL SPIRITS?!" Lucy shouted, obviously surprised.

"Well, yeah. You see, when a gold key, and a silver key get together, they have a mortal child. Well, pretty much mortal. While we're in the Celestial Spirits world, we don't age, and we have the ability to travel back to the exact point in time that we were before. It's a nice technique, but Ari and I don't visit often. It's too complicated. So, onto the next question?" I said, trying to change the topic.

"o-okay. So, any other magic? Or abilities?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

During this time Mira had gotten me a plate of food, and I was eating it greedily. I paused, to answer her question. "yep. I can use Sand magic, but I'm not very good at it, cause my father teaches me when he has time. I can also sing really well, I got that from my mother. I only found out about my parents a while ago, so I only refer to them as mother and father, when I was really raised by someone else entirely." I said, and then dug back into my food. I had just finished, and Lucy was about to ask another question, when Romeo started shouting. I listened intently, and got up, mirroring Natsu.

"Wh-what happened to them, all of the sudden?" Lucy asked Mirajane, as she sat watching Natsu and Kana leave, along with Happy and Shadow.

Mirajane had a sad look on her face, as she said; "The same thing happened to them. Maybe they saw themselves in Romeo-kun. Their fathers haven't come back ever since they left. Though, by fathers, I meant a foster parent." She looked back at Lucy. "And they're dragons."

"A dragon?!" Lucy shouted, falling off of her seat. "They were raised by dragons?! How could I believe that?!"

"Right? Natsu was found by that dragon in a forest when he was little, and learned words, cultures, and magic from him. But one day, the dragon disappeared from Natsu." She said, leaning against the counter. "It was the same for Kana, although a bit different. She was raised along with her brother Rogue. She had been out exploring, and when she got back, well, they were nowhere in sight. I'll tell you their story later, if you like."

"How could I have gotten into this mess?!" I questioned from my cramped spot next to Lucy. I glared at the glass separating me from the monkey. "I swear to god when I get out of here I'm going to kill you." I growled, glaring at the creepy perverted monkey. I blocked Lucy out entirely, focusing on the ways I was going to pummel that stupid monkey. I was caught off guard when I was suddenly on the floor, Horologium had disappeared. I stood up after a moment, and stood in front of Lucy, growling at the monkey.

* * *

 **XoX**

* * *

Prologue

I was running, running from my past, from my future, and my present. I could hear the pounding footsteps of my friends behind me, and behind them, the gunshots that rung throughout the town. I could hear the barking of dogs, and the screeching of tires on concrete. I could hear the thumps of bodies hitting the ground, innocent men, women and children, who had simply been caught in the crossfire. I felt sorry for them; sad that they had to die like this, but I would not go back, no matter how many deaths I had on my hands. I'm selfish that way, but I had been kept there for too long, and never again would I go back, not for anyone.

I could see my destination in front of me; a swirling vortex of colors that would take me far away from here, to another world in fact. You see, all anime is real. All of it. Each series was created by someone who had gone to that world, at some point in time, (because you can never know where or when you'll end up) and took down everything from that world, or they had gotten the memories of one who had in the form of a dream. My friends and I had been to many of these worlds, via portal, and we decided that we would escape to one.

I could hear the gunshots getting closer now, and so my friends and I speed up. My sister was close by me now, her white-silver hair flashing. She's my twin, but we look almost nothing alike. She has silver-white hair, blue-green eyes, and her hair falls to her waist. My hair is dark brown, with natural light brown/blonde highlights, I have green eyes, (that sometimes turn blue, depending on the light) and my hair falls to my shoulder blades. We look exactly alike other than that. We even have a scar running over our left eyes. A little gift from our parents, as we were labeled as freaks because of them.

Anyway, she grabbed my hand, and pulled me to the side, just in time for a bullet to whiz by. I heard another gun shot, and then a thump, as someone behind me fell to the ground. I heard the same thing two more times, and I tried to look back, but Ariella kept me from doing so. She tugged me forward, and pushed me through the portal, trying to keep me from looking back. It was too late though. I looked back, just as we went through, and saw my friends lying there, still. Too still. But before I could do anything, I was enveloped in darkness.

I launched out of bed, effectively waking up my sister on accident. I couldn't tell what was going on through the fog that enveloped my brain. I thought it was still that night, over fifteen years ago. I thought my sister and I were still running through the town on our three year old legs, our three best friends running behind us, and then falling, never to stand again. I could hear the gunshots echoing around me, the screams of the doomed, and the thumps of bodies falling. I could see the red blood that painted the ground, and stained the clothes of the unfortunate. I could hear my own screams of agony, for the lost, and for my friends, who had died needlessly. I could feel Ariella's arms wrap around me, as she rocked me back and forth, something we always did for each other, whenever we had a nightmare. I could feel the hot tears that ran down my cheeks, and hers. I was slowly coming to, out of the nightmare

that had been all too real, that I had been reliving. I finally calmed down, fell back asleep, and thankfully had no nightmares, nor dreams.

Once Kana had finally calmed down, and fell back asleep, I set her down, and got dressed, knowing that our neighbors were going to come running any moment. I went outside, and sat there, waiting. Soon enough, I spotted the pink head of hair, running towards me. I walked calmly up to him, and explained that Kana had just had a bad nightmare, and thought she was still in it when she woke up. Eventually I got him to calm down, and go back to his home. My cat, Caerula, landed on my shoulder, her soft dark blue fur smelled like rain, one of my favorite smells. I took deep breaths, and walked back

* * *

Chapter One – A new girl Two New girls

It was a bright, sunny day in Magnolia as the guild Fairy Tail made their way to the South Gate Park. The sun was shining high in the sky, the birds were chirping, and the children were running about as a nice breeze blew. The members of Fairy Tail were having fun, playing in the park and eating on large blankets that the members had gathered for the picnic.

They were blissfully unaware of the carnage that two young nine year old girls were currently wreaking havoc on their guild. That's where this story starts.

Once Fairy Tail arrived back at the guild, their chatting stopped as they saw two figures dart out from the guild, running in two different directions. One had on white tattered shorts and a tank top, the other in pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Neither of the girls wore shoes, made painfully evident by the way the first in the tattered shorts and tank top used Erza's face as a launch pad of sorts. She smirked and leaned over from the next roof over.

She stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at all of them. She laughed as she ran, and the members of the guild followed her, not paying attention to the other girl who had ran off with a basket in her hands. She smiled and managed to lose them for a time.

I smiled to myself as I managed to get back to the small shelter Ariella and I had made, and I saw my sister waiting there for me. She held up a fruit to me, and I took it from her greedily. I ate another after that, and another. I smiled and sat next to my twin sister, who looked nothing like me, aside from the spikiness of her hair that is. I blinked, and before I knew it Ariella was shaking me with a grimace.

"Kana wake up." She said and I raised an eyebrow at her, and she rolled her eyes with a sigh. "You fell asleep again." She said quietly. "You're getting worse Kana. Your eyes are bloodshot and you're really pale. I think we have enough medicine for a little while, but….." She said worriedly, and I shook my head, waving my concerned sister away as I stood up shakily.

"Nah, I'll be fine, just give me some time. What I'm more worried about is the approaching footsteps and the scents that I don't recognize." I frowned, and looked outside with narrowed eyes. "Ell, hide the food quickly." I said, as my sister quickly packed away the food and the small belongings that we had managed to keep. I saw her pocket a syringe and I silently thanked her. I quickly hid the shelter from view, and ran a few steps ahead, so that if we used an attack it wouldn't be caught in it.

Ariella and I linked arms, and nodded once, opening the mental link that had been forged by the weird medicine I was forced to take when I was younger. I took a deep breath, and made my expression vacant, just as the guild from earlier arrived.

Once Fairy Tail had managed to track the girls down with Natsu's nose and various other ways of tracking, they weren't that surprised that the girls were waiting. They didn't smile, and didn't speak, until they were asked multiple questions.

"Leave now; you can't handle our Flaming Tempest." They said at the same time, as if they had practiced it multiple times. There were multiple protests from the members, and the girls just sighed. "We had hoped you would leave peacefully." The said, before they took deep breaths, and shouted the name of their attack, water swirling around the silver haired girl, and dark flames around the brown haired girl.

"Dark Flame and Water Dragon's roar! Flaming Tempest!" They shouted, as a swirling vortex of flames and water erupted from their mouths. Fairy Tail blocked the attack, but could hear a scream from the other side. What they saw once they looked sickened the older members, and confused the younger and more innocent. The brown haired girl was on the ground, convulsing as the silver haired girl tried to hold her arms down. She managed to sit on top of her with tears in her eyes, and injected a black liquid into her neck with a syringe. The one with brown hair's eyes were rolled backwards in her head, and she was silently screaming, though this stopped soon enough as the one with silver hair rocked her back and forth. When she stopped rocking, they saw that the brown haired girl's eyes were closed, and that she was sleeping.

"K-Kana? Wake up!" the silver haired girl said to her (at least they thought it was) her sister with brown hair, who they now knew as Kana. The girl with silver hair picked Kana up, and drug her over to the small shelter that was there, before turning back to the guild, assuming a fighting stance. She growled, and narrowed her eyes. She rushed forward, attacking several of the guild members, who were caught by surprise, not thinking that she could pack such a punch.

After several minutes, another set of blows started to come, and they looked up to see that the girl, Kana, was fighting as well. She was kicking and punching with a black flame enveloping her hands and feet. When Mirajane grabbed her arm, she spun around, knocking two people to the ground, and bit her hand with her sharpened canines. After a long while, and many hurt egos, the two girls were tied up. The one with silver hair, Ariella, as Kana had called her, simply sighed and looked slightly embarrassed at the girl next to her.

Kana was screaming obscene words, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind that had her arms been free, there would have been hand signals as well. She was kicking her legs and glaring at everyone. While she glared with red hot fury that could scare even the most toughened of prisoners, her sister glared with an icy coolness that was just as scary as her sister's. The guild started to question them, but they wouldn't answer. It was as if they had been interrogated before, and knew how to keep calm and not speak.

The only answer that they could get out of the two girls' was their names, because they already knew them. Their names were Kana Shoto-Desavi, and Ariella Desavi-Shoto. The two were now looking at the ground, emotionless, until Kana's head shot up, and she sniffed the air. She smiled a somewhat creepy smile, before standing up, and whistling loudly.

Two cats flew down, looking a lot like Happy. One was a deep blue, with many different shades of blue mixing in. The other was pure black, with grey eyes. The blue one landed on Ariella's head, the

black one landing on Kana's head. The blue on spoke first, in a lilting tone, like a gentle wave from the sea pushing against the beach. "It would be in your best interest to leave."

The black one spoke next, in a mysterious, yet kind voice. "If you've laid a single hand on Kana, I swear that I will destroy you and everything you hold dear.

"If you've laid a single hand on Kana, I swear that I will destroy you and everything you hold dear." Shadow said from her perch atop my head. I smiled at the motherly cat's antics, before she untied me. I started to thank her, but stopped, coughing violently. Another attack? And so soon after the previous one? Ariella was right, I am getting worse. I thought, scared. My hands started to shake, and I fell to one knee, wincing. Before I had had no control over my body, as the attack had been so sudden that I hadn't been able to prepare for it.

I took deep, calming breaths, and dug my fingers into the ground, trying to stop my hands from shaking. I felt many eyes on me, and someone, probably Ariella, was rubbing circles on my back, trying to soothe the pain. I gasped and clutched my side with one hand, using the other, pretty much weak arm, to support my weight. I wasn't in the shape I used to be, where I could kick someone across the face and have them be on the floor in pain for several minutes. Now, I could barely take down a bear without having to sit on the ground for hours.

I felt Ariella start to inject my neck again, and I thrust my hand out, knocking the syringe from her hand. I stood up on shaky legs, and gave my sister a smile, pretending to be fine. I ruffled her hair and forced a chuckle.

"Hey now, I'm not leaving any time yet." I said aloud, smiling at her. 'Let's hurry up and leave. Shadow went into the shelter already while we distracted the guild members and moved everything. Use your waves to distract them and let's get out of here, eh?" I said via thought to Ariella, before she smiled, relieved, and nodded to me. She stood and turned towards the guild members, looking as if she was about to apologize, before screaming 'Water dragon's roar!' and while the attack flowed, she slowly backed up, before grabbing me by the hand. We ran deep into the forest, making sure that we weren't found.

The Demon Twins, The tempest Twins, and those damned punks! Those were the names that the townspeople of Magnolia had given Fairy Tail when asked about the two children that had ransacked their guild. Apparently they went around stealing food and blankets, along with clothing occasionally, from the townspeople. They would show up out of nowhere and take things, always in tattered and dirtied clothing. It had been nearly three weeks since the two girls had disappeared in the forest, and Fairy Tail had given up looking for them.

They had found out that the two were fraternal twins, and had appeared out of nowhere one day, and just started causing trouble. One boy had gotten his arm broken by Kana, and another had had his shin fractured by Ariella. Things had just gotten back to normal in the guild, after most of the guild members nursing broken egos, and in the case of one member who had failed to step aside in time, scalding wounds. The master was concerned about this. The two girls should not be able to perform a

Unison Raid at that young an age. They were able to keep the flames from going out in the water, which superheated them, and on contact scaled the user.

It was only minutes after that thought that there was a loud banging sound, and a panting Ariella stood in the doorway of the guild, tears streaming down her face, holding an unconscious Kana in her arms. Kana was limp in her arms, not convulsing, but it was obvious that she was hurt. The easiest way to tell was by the blood that dripped down from the corner of her mouth and down her chin, and by the slight whimpering sound that she made.

"Please…. Please help her!" Ariella sobbed, before falling down in a heap.

Three days passed and neither girl had woken yet. Fairy Tail had been quick to help the two girls, not wanting them to die. Ariella had been the easier to fix of the two, simply having fainted from exhaustion and malnourishment. But Kana…Kana was a mystery. She seemed not to have any normal illness, though it was no known disease that was in this world, and it wasn't able to be contracted by another person. At least one member of the guild was always by their side, because they needed to know when one of them woke up.

Two days later, the guild was relieved to find that Kana had woken up, though she was still in pain, she could at least speak. The master had sent for Porlyuscia, hoping that she would be able to heal the girl. When the news had come that Kana was awake, most of the members rushed in, some wishing for revenge, others for a fight (CoughNatsuCough), some wanting to see if she was alright, and the rest simply curious or dragged by another member.

"M-Momma? D-daddy…? Is that….you…?" Kana asked in a shaky voice, her face red from fever, a wet cloth on her forehead and eyes.

"Yes….." Mirajane said, trying to be mean to the girl, who probably just ran away.

A small smile graced Kana's lips, and she sighed happily. "I'm glad….. Ari and I missed you…" She said slowly, before pulling her hand up to her chest, holding some sort of cloth in her hand. "We….never lost the scarves or the armbands that you gave us….. Is it….. is it my time…?" She asked, and the smile flew from her face. "I figured that….the last attack I had….would be the end daddy. But…. I don't want to leave Ari on her own… She doesn't like to say it, but she gets really scared at night sometimes when she has nightmares." She struggled to speak, obviously trying to stay conscious while Elfman berated his older sister (in a soft way) for being mean to the poor girl.

"Daddy?" Kana suddenly asked, making everyone freeze. "Why…. Did you and mommy leave…? I thought….that you promised you would never leave…. I thought you…. Promised me….." She trailed off, before speaking again, panting this time. "You told me….that dragons….never break their promises….." She mumbled, before falling unconscious again.

The guild stared at the girl who had fallen asleep, before the elderly lady, Porlyuscia walked in. She had kicked everyone but Makarov out, leaving the guild members to their own devices.

After several days of waiting, both girls were finally awake, and somewhat healthy. The only thing that needed to be cured was their malnourishment, well, other than Kana's strange illness, which was explained by Ariella to everyone on request of Porlyuscia. The smaller of the two girls was actually the strongest, or, had been the strongest, until she was given a strange medicine that made their minds linked, but cost Kana her health. Kana's body had grown used to the medicine, and over time thought that it needed it.

Porlyuscia had given them the advice to slowly wean her off of the medicine bit by bit, so that her body would become accustomed to lesser amounts of the medicine until she no longer needed it. The medicine had actually been a type of magic potion that increased the user's ability with magic and their body strength, but depleted their mental and constitutional health, meaning that even after she had been taken off of the medicine, she would be more prone to mental breakdowns than she would have been otherwise, and would likely get sick easily, even if she could fight it off. The mental breakdowns would likely come in either the form of small panic attacks or full out mental breakdowns.

This had come as a shock to Kana, but she had simply nodded, keeping strong. Ariella started to cry, and fled the room. Their cats were nowhere to be seen, which raised the suspicions of some of the guild members, while others simply ignored it. The two girls were forced to stay in the guild for a few more days afterwards, before they got up, wearing the new clothing that one of the members had bought on request of the master.

I sighed, looking down at the black tank top that I wore, the bright red flaming swirls that were a pattern on it sticking out. I wrapped the thin scarf made of dragon's scales around my neck, and pulled the arm bands that rested on my biceps, that, oddly enough, conformed to my body, up. I looked at the shoes that they had bought for me as well, before pushing them under the temporary bed that I owned so that they wouldn't be seen. I didn't like the tank top, I much rather preferred wearing less clothing, going as far as to wear a crop top instead of anything else, but according to Ari, we needed to wear proper clothing. There was no way that she would get me into shoes though, and that was final. I wore black shorts that fell to mid-thigh, that had a silver band around the hems.

I ran a brush through my hair, before shaking my head, letting my hair spike on its own. I looked over at Ari as she packed the flame red pack that was mine, and the silver and blue pack that was hers. She was wearing a long sleeved silver shirt, and dark blue pants, baggy enough to hide her iron legs, but tight enough to not raise suspicions. She wore a pair of silver punk boots with buckles. I rolled my eyes at her antics. She hadn't been able to get a pair of shoes before this, and hadn't thought she'd like them, but she immensely enjoyed the punk boots that she had gotten.

I slung my pack on my shoulders with ease, having been eating right for once and properly cleaned, along with only taking about sixth-eights of my normal medicine was slightly wearing down on me, but I hadn't had an attack for the past couple of days, and I generally felt better than I had before. I stretched like a cat, and yawned, before straightening Ariella's scarf and fixing her hair, which was tied up in a ponytail for once. I fixed the armbands on her biceps and took a brush to her bangs, covering her unseeing left eye, the long scar that ran diagonally across it wasn't ugly, like the ragged one that ran

horizontally across my face. Hers was quite cute actually, and I was sure that it would fade over time, until it was really pale.

I nodded once, as Ariella made sure that my bangs covered my eye properly, before making sure that the rest of it was fine. She searched through my pack, and found the eye patch that she kept on her. She brushed my hair back, and pulled it over my eye, before situating my bangs over the eye and the strings of the eye patch. She nodded, satisfied, before placing her pack on her shoulders. Within moments we were down in front of the doors to the guild. I said goodbye to the members of the guild. Within my short time among them, they had made me feel like I actually belonged somewhere. They had become like family.

But….all good things must come to an end.

"Where are you going to go now?" The master said, and I turned around, Ariella behind me.

I shrugged, looking at the ground. "I dunno. Probably somewhere nearby. We need to find Shadow and Caerula first, but after that, who knows where we'll end up?" I said, shrugging.

"Do you have a home to go to?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Nope. We travel a lot. We're looking for our parents." I said, Ariella having stepped outside already, not wanting to cry in front of everyone. She would have stuck close though, because the kids around here liked to throw stones at us. I had no doubt that she could hear everything.

"It's awfully hard for two girls, even ones like you and your sister, to travel without having somewhere to return to." He trailed off, nodding at me with a grin on his face.

"…..It can be." I said simply, looking at the ground.

"Hmm….. Then how about you stay here when you're not traveling, and in exchange, you'll have to complete missions to pay for rent and food." Makarov said with a smile, and my breath caught in my throat, and I looked sharply up at him.

"B-But missions…..are only for guild members." I said in disbelief, not daring to hope that he was actually implying what I think he was.

"Hmm. You're right." He said after a moment, looking at me with a grin that grew wider. "Then I suppose that you'll have to become a member of Fairy Tail, won't you?" He asked, and I grinned, the joy and happiness that I was feeling overflowing. I rushed forward, burying my head in the crook of the master's neck, and hugged him. I felt Ariella hugging him as well, and she was sobbing harder than I was. I thanked the master over and over again, until I jumped up, and hugged Ariella. The cheers and congratulations of the guild overwhelmed me, and I laughed happily at my new nakama, quite a few of them surrounding me.

From that day on, Ariella and I were officially a part of the guild, and while I became an S-class mage, Ariella didn't, not just because of her refusal to participate some years, but due to the fact that

she refused to pick me as her partner, something along the lines that it was cheating in a way for an S-class to help one trying to become an S-class. We decided to stay at Fairy Hills for the first few years, until our house was fully built and furnished. Our house was placed in the woods near Natsu and Happy's house. It was pretty large, which is why it took us so long to build it. Well, and the fact that we wanted to build it with our own two hands that is.

But our adventures didn't really begin until we met a blonde haired celestial mage. Our normally hectic lives turned even more chaotic with her arrival. And it wasn't always for the better.

* * *

Chapter Two – I hate monkeys.

It was a bright shining day in Magnolia Town, as I made my way back to the guild. I yawned, and stretched, my bare feet hitting the ground in even steps. I was wearing my customary crop top with a bright red flame pattern and black shorts that fell a few inches above my knees, a silver colored band around the hems. My abdomen and some of my arms and legs were covered in bandages due to the fact that I had been a little careless.

Shadow was waiting for me at the guild, having gone ahead to ask Mira to get some food ready for me, and to have Cana get ready to have a drinking contest with me. Again. As I approached the guild, I heard someone shout, "Uwahh! It's so big!" my mind immediately took it wrong, but when I saw that it was some new girl, and Natsu, my mind immediately turned to 'oh, never mind, it wasn't dirty.'

"Yo, flame breath!" I shouted, while jumping at Natsu, and kicking him in the face.

"Gah!" he shouted, landing on the ground. "Dark?! What was that for?!" He asked, using the nickname that the guild had given me.

"Oh, just a friendly greeting, and the fact that I haven't had a fight in a while." I said, helping him up. "But you'll have to wait for that rematch for a couple of days, 'cause I got injured pretty badly during my mission. Don't want to re-open any wounds." I said cheerfully, pointing to the bandages on me, and the one on my cheek, covering the nasty gash I had earned.

I turned to the new girl, (I mean, who else could she be? You don't just show up at Fairy Tail, just to pop by and say hi unless you're another guild.) and was surprised to see that she had hearts in her eyes. The only thing I could think at first was, 'Whoa there missy, I don't swing that way.'

She fan-girl squealed, and said; "Ohmigosh! You're Kana Shoto-Desavi! The eldest of the Dark Tempest Twins! I've heard that you have more than three different types of magic!"

I held my hands out, and told her to slow down, and gave her a smile. "Yeah, I'm Kana, The eldest of the Dark Tempest Twins, also known as 'The Dark Flame.' I do have more than three magic's, though I don't just give them out. I will tell you the main ones I use, once you've actually become a member of Fairy Tail." I said, and at her confused look, I added "Hey, I don't give out information to those who aren't my comrades, but once you join, I'll be happy to fill you in on my magic, and introduce you to Ari."

She fan-girl squealed again, and said; "Really?! Ohmigosh! Thank you!"

I nodded, and Happy and I said in unison, almost as if rehearsed, a 'welcome to Fairy Tail!' I spoke again, as I usually did with any new member; "Life is an adventure, and these are the doors that lead to that adventure! Welcome to Fairy Tail! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a head or two ta kick in, as someone, as in Elfman, gave me false information on Aestuo!" I growled the last part, opening the doors, and Natsu and I kicked two people in the head. I kicked Elfman, Natsu kicked someone else. We both kicked them for the same reasons though, that we had been given false information on our

parents. Though, I was also looking for my mother, who was a water dragon. She and my father had raised me and Ari together.

Within minutes the entire guild was caught up in a brawl, and I caught glimpses of the new girl every now and then. She seemed like she was taking the new experience in stride. Most people would run at the first chance they got. I saw Gray out of the corner of my eye, being an idiot. After a while of fighting, the master intervened. With a loud 'cut it out!' he silenced everyone. He started going off about things everyone did, and I kind of spaced out until he said my name. "Dark. You destroyed three towns near Lamia Scale, drank twenty barrels of alcohol and charged it to the council, along with beating up the man you were escorting and having him hospitalized. You also stopped by Lamia Scale, and beat up Ren, Hibiki and Eve."

I scratched the back of my head, and shouted back; "Oh, and you wouldn't have beat up that guy too if he decided to cop a feel when you weren't looking! And anyway, Those three idiots deserved it! I didn't get out of it completely uninjured either!"

He looked at me, and asked; "What about the three towns?"

"Well, you see, funny story, this guy tried to steal from me, and so I hit him. But how was I supposed to know that he was the leader of the town! And the other two towns was not my fault! I just dodged those dark guilds' attacks!" I shouted back indignantly.

He just went on with a sigh, and said other names. "You guys just make the council angry at me!" he shouted, then stood there shaking. "But..." he said quietly, then spoke loudly again. "Forget about the Council members." He set the papers in his hands on fire, threw them at Natsu, but I lunged at it as well, and no one but the new girl paid any attention to us fighting over something made of fire. It was regular for us to do this. The master went on to this really cool speech, but I didn't listen after taking half of the papers. I just made my way through the crowd looking for the new girl. Eventually I found her, and stood next to her. I cheered loudly when everyone else did. Afterwards, I walked her over to Mira, and watched her get her guild mark.

She tried to tell Natsu, but he just messed up her name. I looked back at Mira, after searching the tables. "Hey, Mir Onee-Chan?" I asked, using my usual nickname for her. The older girl looked at me, and smiled.

"Yes, Kana?" she asked, while drying some dishes.

Lucy walked over, and sat down next to me. "Is Ari here? I didn't see her…." I said, looking around for her, or Caerula.

I turned back to her, and she smiled a little sadly. "Oh, I'm sorry Kana, but she isn't back yet. When she gets back, I'm sure that she'll go straight home, and come here. If she comes back after you leave, or before you come in, I'll be sure to let her know you were looking for her." She said comfortingly.

I smiled back, and said; "Thanks Mira Onee-chan." I turned to Lucy, who was sitting there, looking a little grumpy. "Hey, Lucy. I'll have to introduce you to Ari when she gets back, but I can answer some questions you want to ask me." I said, trying to cheer her up. In the small amount of time I had known her, I had gotten to like Lucy, and she was nice. I didn't like that she was a girly girl, but still.

"Really?" she asked hopefully, and I just nodded.

"Yep. I'll answer your questions the best I can." I said, giving a big smile, which was partially covered on the left side, because of my bangs.

"Okay, so, there have been a lot of stories going around on why you keep your bangs over your left eye. Like, some people say it's just for fashion, others think it's because you don't have an eye. Could you tell me the truth?" she asked, going to one of the most common subjects people ask me about.

I smiled, and pulled my bangs back, revealing my eye patch, the long horizontal scar that ran from the halfway mark on my forehead to the bottom of my cheekbone, halfway hidden the eye patch. "Oh, that. I got this from a real big jerk." I said nonchalantly.

She nodded, and asked another question. "What magic do you use then? I've heard that you can use celestial magic without keys." she was curious, if the tone in her voice was anything to go by.

"Well, my main magic is Dark Fire Dragon Slayer magic. I also use minor water magic, in case Ari needs something to eat during battle. I'm leaving the rest out though. I mean, I've gotta have a few tricks up my sleeve. I can't let everyone know about my magic." I said nonchalantly.

"Oh okay." She said.

During this time Mira had gotten me a plate of food, and I was eating it greedily. I didn't say anything because I was starving; I just dug into my food. I had just finished, and Lucy was about to ask another question, when Romeo started shouting. I listened intently, and got up, mirroring Natsu.

"Wh-what happened to them, all of the sudden?" Lucy asked Mirajane, as she sat watching Natsu and Kana leave, along with Happy and Shadow.

Mirajane had a sad look on her face, as she said; "The same thing happened to them. Maybe they saw themselves in Romeo-kun. Their fathers haven't come back ever since they left. Though, by fathers, I meant a foster parent." She looked back at Lucy. "And they're dragons."

"A dragon?!" Lucy shouted, falling off of her seat. "They were raised by dragons?! How could I believe that?!"

"Right? Natsu was found by that dragon in a forest when he was little, and learned words, cultures, and magic from him. But one day, the dragon disappeared from Natsu." She said, leaning

against the counter. "It was the same for Kana, although a bit different. She was raised along with her sister Ariella. They woke up one day and their parents were just gone." Mirajane said, trailing off.

"How could I have gotten into this mess?!" I questioned from my cramped spot next to Lucy. I glared at the glass separating me from the monkey. "I swear to god when I get out of here I'm going to kill you." I growled, glaring at the creepy perverted monkey. I blocked Lucy out entirely; focusing on the ways I was going to pummel that stupid monkey. I was caught off guard when I was suddenly on the floor, Horologium had disappeared. I stood up after a moment, and stood in front of Lucy, growling at the monkey.

"D-Dark-Chan?" Lucy asked, using the nickname she had picked up in the short amount of time that she had been a part of the guild as she clutched the blanket around her shoulders.

"Stay there Lu-chan. Ima kick some monkey ass." I growled, before Natsu made an amazing entrance.

"WUOOOOH! I FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH YOU!" He shouted, running in. I heard Lucy exclaim his name, and I burst out laughing when he slipped. It was so bad that I couldn't stop. I was pounding my fist on the floor. I stopped when Natsu was tricked by the monkey though, and I ran to the edge to try and catch him. Of course, I slipped, and fell down with a surprised shout.

I quickly caught up to Natsu, and I nodded to him in a sage-like manner, before I felt a tail wrap around my waist. "Oh good, you're here Shadow. I was wondering when you'd show up." I said sarcastically, and she smacked me on the head, before launching upwards right alongside Natsu and Happy.

Natsu arrived before I did, and when I pulled myself up, I sighed when I saw Natsu kick Taurus in the face.

"What?! There are more monsters now!?" He shouted, and Lucy screamed, before getting mad at him, and asking the two of us how we survived.

"All thanks to Happy and Shadow. Right guys?" He asked, and I nodded, giving him a thumbs up. Shadow's Aera magic had quit halfway up, and I had had to climb the rest of the way.

"You're welcome." Happy and Shadow said at the same time, Happy flying overhead and Shadow perched on my head as I climbed in the cavern. As I climbed in, I heard Lucy and Natsu talking, and I yawned loudly, before hitting the ground, asleep.

I yawned as I felt someone shaking me, and I opened my eyes, stretching.

"Ah, I feel refreshed." I said with a smile. I looked around for a moment, confused. "Hmm…? What happened?" I asked, confused as I saw that Natsu was carrying me and we were back in Magnolia.

"Ah! You're awake Dark-Chan!" Lucy said, and I looked at her, confused for a moment.

I hit my fist in my open hand, nodding. "Oh that's right! I fell asleep again." I said, before my eyes widened. "Natsu! Where's Macau!" I asked, panicking for a moment, before my eyes settled on the older man, who was embracing his son. I smiled, and Natsu set me down.

"Natsu bro! Happy! Dark-sis!" I heard Romeo shout from behind us as we walked away. "Thanks! And Thanks to you, too, Lucy-sis!" He added, and I chuckled, patting Lucy on the back.

"Well Lucy, it looks like you're going to fit in great with us. Trust me, this is only the beginning." I said with a smile, as we walked away.

Just as I had said, that day was only the beginning of a long story full of twists and turns, tragedy and heartbreak, but most importantly it was full of new friends and good times with our Nakama.

* * *

Chapter Three

I yawned loudly as I walked down the street towards the guild. I had spent the past two weeks holed up in my house sicker than a dog. I hadn't even been able to get out of bed it was so bad. I was still slightly sick, running a slight fever and I felt bad in general. I slammed my foot into the door as hard as I could. This, in turn, sent a few cracks running up the door. Everyone paused to look at me, except for Loki that is, who simply ran out the door and away from Lucy. It was only a matter of time before he hit on her and saw her keys to be honest.

"Ah! Dark-Chan! You're back! Where have you been?" Lucy asked as I slammed my head down on the counter with a small sigh of relief.

"Home." I mumbled, before Natsu and Gray kept fighting. That is, before Loki ran back in shouting that Erza was back.

I started to stand up, but fell on the ground, and just sat there with a sigh, not caring. I laid there as the scarlet haired mage walked through the doors with a gigantic horn.

"I'm back. Is the master present at the moment?" Erza asked, setting the horn down with ease, causing some dust to stir and a loud thumping noise to echo throughout the building.

"Welcome back!" Mira said in her cheerful manner. "Master's attending the regular meeting." She explained, and Erza nodded, before someone asked about the horn and she explained that it had been the horn of the demon she subdued, and the townspeople decorated it for her. She had thought that it was so pretty that she had to keep it as a souvenir.

"Will it be a nuisance?" She asked, and another member told her that it wasn't. "Anyway guys, I heard you've been causing trouble again. Even if Master forgives you, I won't." She said in a scary tone, looking around. "Cana… that's an inappropriate drinking posture. Visitor, if you are going to dance, do it outside. Wakaba, your cigarette butts are all over the floor. Nav… are you still hanging around the request board? Pick a job already." She scolded, before sighing.

I heard Lucy shout in shock at how Natsu and Gray were acting around Erza, and Mira explained everything to Lucy. Her eyes landed on me, and I saw it out of the corner of my eye from my spot on the floor.

"Dark…. What are you doing?" She asked, coming over to me.

"Laying on the floor, why?" I asked, looking up at her. I think I was the only one who Erza hadn't actually beaten up yet (other than Lucy) and I don't think she ever would. I also believe that I'm the only one that isn't scared of Erza. She bent down to my level, and placed one finger on my forehead, sighing as it melted. Dark fire was slightly hotter than regular fire, but the only time that my body heat really melted metal on accident was when I was sick. Thankfully I never actually caught anything on fire.

"You're running a fever." She said simply, before turning to Gray and Natsu, and asked for their help with something like a job. Of course, I knew that they wouldn't dare say no, and before she walked away, I jumped up and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Onee-chan!" I said, and she turned to look at me. "Please, let me come too!" I begged, and she smiled, and nodded once, walking away. I cracked my knuckles with a smirk, before turning towards Gray with a grin.

"What?" He asked suspiciously.

I walked up to him with a smile, and grabbed his upper arm, burning him, but cooling me down. I let out a content sigh, placing my head on his arm as he shouted in pain.

"Dark-Chan what are you doing?!" Lucy asked, and I smiled.

"She's running a fever, and whenever she has one, she uses gray as an ice pack because he's an ice mage." Mira explained, as Gray tried to escape my death grip. If this is how Gray was going to act while I was slightly sick during the trip, then we would have to fix that.

I yawned loudly as I trudged into the train station. I would have to ask Onee-san to knock me out before we got on the train. I rubbed my eyes sleepily as I slowly walked up to the group. Apparently Lucy was coming too then. I was wearing my usual crop top and shorts, scarf and armbands. On my back was my usual flame red pack, several different trinkets added to it over the years.

I rubbed the my guild mark, which stood out in a purplish-red color just under the left side of my collarbone. I walked straight up to Gray, and wrapped my arms around him. He shouted in pain, and I tightened my grip. I let a content sigh slip from my lips. My fever had gone down, but it was still there.

"Get off me Dark!" He shouted, trying to get me off of him.

I stuck my tongue out at him and pressed the side of my face into his arm. "But I'm warrrmmmmm." I whined before Erza grabbed my arm. "Onee-chan, knock me out please. I know that I'm not going to be able to stand the train, so just do it now." I said, everyone else sweat dropping. She nodded once, and punched my stomach. I gasped, and felt my eyes close in pain, letting unconsciousness take me.

When I woke up, I found that Natsu was across from me, and that the others had left. I sat up and looked around for a moment, before clutching my stomach in pain. Oh yeah, I forgot that I was on a train. The pain was unbearable. I felt horribly sick, and I opened the window as fast as I could, and promptly emptied the contents of my stomach. I sat back down next to Natsu, and placed one hand on his shoulder in a 'I feel your pain' kind of gesture.

I must have blacked out, because all of the sudden Natsu was in front of me, standing up and the train had stopped. I looked between the new guy and Natsu for a moment, an eyebrow raised. He seemed to not notice me, and punched the guy in the face.

"Do I want to know?" I asked, and Natsu looked like he was pissed off.

"He insulted Fairy Tail." He said simply, before an announcement went off, and I realized the train was going to start again. I gasped and grabbed my pack off of the luggage thing up top, before throwing Natsu's down to him. I threw the pack on my shoulders quickly, before Natsu grabbed my hand just as the train started to get going again. We were suddenly outside, and I sweat dropped, letting out a scream before slamming into Gray along with Natsu.

"Natsu, Dark!" Erza screamed back to us, stopping the magical four wheeled device as fast as she could. I groaned from my spot on the ground, underneath Gray and Natsu's feet as they argued, not noticing me. They got off me when I let my fire flare around me, and I slowly got up, before slapping Gray with one hand (that was on fire) and then punching Natsu with the other. I walked over to Erza, and she apologized, hugging me. My head slammed into her breastplate, and I chuckled.

"It's okay." I said, while Natsu complained about the guy that tried to pick a fight with him.

"IDIOT!" Erza screamed, slapping Natsu across the face. He went flying, and she placed her hands on her hips. "Eisenwald is what we're after!" She shouted, fuming.

"That was the first time I heard that…" He said, and I didn't dare nod in agreement. I wasn't scared of Erza, but I didn't want to piss her off.

"Why weren't you listening to my story?!" She shouted, questioning Natsu.

That was when I fell asleep. Again. Curse you narcolepsy!

"Hmmm….?" I asked, sitting up on the ground of some building that I didn't know. Lucy was crouched down beside me, having been the one to wake me. "Oh hey Lucy, what's going on?" I asked, and she sweat dropped.

"You fell asleep again…" She said, trailing off.

"Oh." I said, nodding. "Do you know why I fall asleep?" I asked her, and when she shook her head I started to explain a simple version. "Basically I was given this medicine as a kid that increased my magic capabilities and my body strength. It sapped my mental health, and I get sick easier. I used to pass out a lot from it, and it turned into Narcolepsy." I explained, and she nodded, before pointing to Erza, who was fighting.

I jumped up and rushed to her side, my dark purplish-red flames swirling around my hands and feet as I kicked my way over to her, and stopped as there was a small lag in the battle after she ex-quiped her armor.

"Erza Onee-Chan!" I scolded, standing to her back. "You started without me!" I complained, and she chuckled, using Circle Sword. I took a breath, punched the ground. A circle of fire spun around my hand rapidly before I stood on my hand, and Erza jumped in the air to avoid it. Once the rest were gone, I stood there as Erza told Lucy to deal with the only one who had run off.

"Onee-chan, stay strong. I'll come back soon, okay?" I asked with a smile, turning towards where Lucy had run off to. I have a job to do, and I'll be damned if I don't finish it.

[Meanwhile]

"Makarov-Chan, I like the mages at your place, they're so lively." The blue Pegasus master, Bob, said. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. I hated how the master was forcing me to be here, right after I got back too. It was my own fault for not going home immediately though. I just had to go and report as soon as I got back so early in the morning. Makarov had immediately asked me to come to the guild master's meeting with him.

I think the only reason he did it was to show off one of his mages, and as punishment for accidentally destroying three towns and a mountain within the same day. I hadn't even been able to go and see how Kana was doing. Oh well, it's not like she was on a mission with Gray, Natsu and Erza or anything. That would spell disaster. I played with the hem of my silver tank top, the little wave designs that I had embroidered on it a long time ago were fading, and I would need to redo them soon. My dark blue pants and shoes covered my 'iron legs' the specially made leg guards that wrapped around my legs and over the tops of my feet, were warm from my skin. The silver scale scarf that I had on peeked into my line of vision, and I brushed it to the side. I rubbed the silver-blue guild mark just under my collarbone, feeling like something was wrong with Kana for some reason.

"I heard that they beat up an influential man from somewhere." Bob said, and I raised my head up, looking at him, suddenly curious. The master had placed a silence spell on me before we came here, due to the fact that he knew I would most likely say something stupid.

"OOOh! Yeah, that's Lucy, our newest member!" Master said, already drunk. "She's good! Her boobs especially!" I smacked the master on the top of the head, making him cringe for a moment, before laughing again. I would have sighed, but it would do nothing, because I couldn't make a sound.

"It's good to be lively, but aren't you guys overdoing things?" Goldmine, the master of Quatro Cerberus, asked. "I heard some council members are worried that you guys might smash an inte town into smithereens one day." He said, worriedly, looking at Makarov, who wasn't listening.

"Uhyohyoh!" He laughed, doing some weird little dance. "I want to be smashed ino smithereens by Lucy's boobs~" He said, and I sighed, making the water in my glass to form into a cotton candy-like form, and biting chunks of it off. I was the only one able to actually bite into water and chew it, and I liked to do this often.

"My, don't hit on your own mage, okay?" Bob said, placing one hand on the side of his face.

"Makarov-sama, you have a letter from Mirajane-sama." The messenger bird said, and I walked over to Makarov.

He accepted the letter, and opened it, an image of Mirajane popping up. "Master, thank you for attending the regular meeting." She said, and Makarov smiled.

"Look! She's our drawing card! Isn't she so cuuute?!" Makarov said, and I rolled my eyes.

"We've got some wonderful news while you were gone." She said, and I raised an eyebrow. "Erza formed a team with Natsu, Gray and Dark!" She said, and my eyes went wide in shock. "Of course, Lucy and Happy are with them too." She added.

Makarov stared at the card, and started shaking.

"Don't you think it's wonderful? I think this might very well be the strongest team in Fairy Tail! I thought I'd better inform you of this, so I wrote you a letter! Have fun!" She said, and Makarov fell to the ground in shock, his eyes wide. Of course, I fell down too, but no one saw it. If they had really formed a team, then Fairy Tail might just be doomed.

* * *

Name: Kana Shoto-Desavi

Age: 17

Birthday: May 13th

Hair: Just past shoulder length spiky brown hair.

Eye: green

Gender: Female

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 130lbs

Nickname: Kitten (Ariella) Dark (guild members so that she and Cana don't get mixed up)

Personality: Loves a fight, and is very stubborn. She's actually very kind even if she doesn't show it often. Loves kids. She is narcoleptic.

Favorite style of clothing: Black Shorts that fall to her knees. A black tank top with fire red swirls on it, no shoes.

Most hated style of clothing: anything frilly and girly; pink.

Favorite Food: Meat and sweets are her favorite, but she will eat vegetables. Loves anything with fire in it, though if someone has something that is close to, or is dark flames she absolutely loves it.

Most hated food: fish and bitter or sour things.

Magic: Dark Flame Dragon Slayer magic

Fighting Style: She loves to fight hand to hand, using her hands incased in fire.

Relations Ariella Desavi-Shoto – twin sister

Weapons: Has none other than her magic and her own two fists.

Favorite songs: anything Mirajane or Ariella sings.

Hobbies: Reading, fighting/sparring with Natsu, playing games with her Nakama, and talking with Ariella.

Alias: Elder Tempest Twin, Fairy Tail's Dark Flame, and Demon Twin number one.

Name: Ariella Desavi – Shoto

Age: 17

Birthday: May 13th

Hair: waist length spiky silver hair, usually kept up in a ponytail.

Eye: blue

Gender: Female

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 140 lbs.

Nickname: Ell (Kana) Ari (usual nickname)

Personality: kind and caring, but often goes through severe mood swings.

Favorite style of clothing: A dark blue long sleeved shirt and silver shorts, no shoes.

Most hated style of clothing: nothing much really, other than too much pink.

Favorite Food: Fish and sweets.

Most hated food: fruit.

Magic: Water Dragon slayer magic

Fighting Style: Uses her shin guards (Dubbed 'iron legs' by Kana) to kick, but uses her magic to improve kicks. Knows a lot about martial arts.

Relations Kana Shoto-Desavi – Twin Sister

Weapons: Her shin guards that go over her feet and most of her legs, dubbed the 'iron legs' by Kana

Favorite songs: doesn't have any.

Hobbies: Training, cooking, playing games with the guild members.

Alias: Younger Tempest Twin, Fairy Tail's Brutal Wave, Demon Twin number two.


	14. The Lollipop Guild - Fairy Tail

AN: please kill me this is the shittiest fic i've ever written please oh god i hate this eN D ME

* * *

The night air in my hometown of Spokane, Washington blew against me as I ran at full speed through town; my small backpack with my few precious items stored inside of it was bouncing between my shoulder blades. I could hear the dogs at my back as I ran alongside my three friends. We ran as fast as we could, but it was not fast enough. I saw our destination in front of us, we were so close! A swirling green vortex was in front of me, and I nearly cried in relief. That was when things snowballed. I heard a sharp cry, and turning around, I saw that the youngest of my friends, who preferred to be called Yume, had fallen, and was struggling to get up. Another of my friends, who was the second oldest, and tallest, who liked to be called Kisa, was trying to help her up. My friend, who was the oldest and tallest, who preferred to go by Sky, and I stopped, and ran back to them. Kisa and Sky helped Yume up, as I fought off the dogs. One had already bitten Yume, her dark jeans ripped on the calf, and soaked with blood. Kisa had been bitten in the calf as well, her light green jeans torn and tinted with blood. I sent out a kick to the dog's side, making it release Kisa with a yelp, and back off. I had no doubt in my mind that its ribs were broken, and I did the same to the dog that was latched onto Yume.

I was extremely grateful to my parents for never checking my bank account, allowing me to secretly take Karate, mixed martial arts, and Kick boxing lessons without their consent. I pulled Kisa behind me, and ran to the portal, adrenaline coursing through my system. I told them to go first, and that Sky and I would be right behind them. We fought off the dogs for a few more moments, as both of us had taken the same fighting lessons, and could use several different weapons. I had an extensive knowledge of the human body and nervous system, while Sky had an extensive knowledge of plants, as well as an extensive knowledge of defensive fighting. We made an excellent team, especially when we were in another world. Once the dogs were down for the count, we looked at each other, linked arms, grinned, and launched into the portal, screaming; 'to the bat cave!'

I woke with a start, covered with a thin sheen of sweat, still not quite awake from the nightmare/dream I had been having. I felt myself slowly slip back into unconsciousness as I calmed down, my brown, shoulder length spiky hair sticking to my face slightly. I settled onto my side, and fell into another nightmare.

Above me, I could see the faces of my guild, my family. The faces that I saw the clearest were that of Smoki, my crush/fourth most trusted person, his smoky gray eyes filled with horror, sadness, and concern. His gray hair that fell to his ears falling forward to almost cover his eyes. The second face, was Sky's face, her blondish-brown shoulder-blade length hair falling forward as she looked at me. Her bluish-green eyes with their gold wisp around the center brimmed with tears. The third was Yume's childish face, forever like that as she was part fairy, filled with concern. Her black waist length hair was falling towards me, as she crouched beside me. The Fourth was Kisa; her childish face was replaced with a serious one, as she could barely contain the dark power from bursting in her anger and sadness. The last

was my little brother's face. He was only four, still a cub. His eyes were filled with tears, and all I could think was 'why are they so upset as they look at me?' I thought, curious. I raised a hand up, and saw that blood covered it, under my nails, and large gashes and cuts covered it. 'Oh' I thought, realizing what was happening. I could feel the pain course through my body, and then I was numb. I closed my eyes, too weak to keep them open. I let myself smile once more, before the soft blanket of oblivion envelop me.

I once again launched out of bed, awake for good this time. I quickly got dressed, and grabbed my small pack from my bed, ready to go on the mission that my guild and I had undertaken. I was unaware of the danger that lurked before me, waiting to launch a surprise attack, and walked out the door of the guild with my co-guild master, and best friend, Sky D. Sword. We were smiling and laughing, making jokes, Yume strangely more animated than usual, probably happy that everyone could spend time together. As I said, I was unaware of the danger that lurked within the seemingly simple mission that we had undertaken. That was probably my biggest mistake.

* * *

(?'s P.o.V.)

"The Lollipop Guild, a well-known guild that resides in the town of Oz. the town was renamed by the guild masters, Kana Shoto, and Sky D. Sword. They take in nearly any mage that wants to join, as well as non-magic users, and give them powers. How they do this is unknown, only known by the guild members, who are sworn to secrecy. That is not all that is strange about this guild though. The guild has two masters that guide the guild together. Every member cares for the masters, and is fiercely loyal to them, and can either be under Kana, or Sky, or even both. They are well known for their fun loving nature, and the fact that they can go toe-to-toe with Fairy Tail.

"The town of Oz resides smack-dab in the middle between and Fairy Tail. The Guild Fairy Tail was appointed to help the new guild when it was formed, and the two guilds have a strong bond, and the two guilds often visit each other. The masters often leave the guild to visit Fairy Tail, or to go on extremely hard missions. Lollipop Guild is also known for the fact that most of the guild is comprised of S –class wizards. Both of the masters were taken in by a shadow dragon, but know different magic on the side. They both have flying cats, Sky's cat, Mint, is dressed like a mint-colored bunny. Kana has two cats, one is her little brother, Kabu, which I will explain later, and the other is Tsume, a flying tiger cat that most dragon slayers have.

"Sky D. Sword came from a circus, and then when she was four, she left and was taken in by the shadow dragon. After her dragon left, she went back to the circus for three more years, where she trained in plant magic. She went back to the circus with her cat, and then met back up with Kana, who was training in shadow dragon slayer magic while she was. She uses a mix of Shadow dragon slayer magic, and plant magic. Her mother is the contortionist of the circus, and her father the ringmaster. She gained her mother's ability of contortion, allowing her to dodge and defend easily. She was taught by all of the members of the circus to at least a basic level of each skill. She is one of the two guild masters. She is sixteen, and has blondish-brown hair that falls to her shoulders, blue/green eyes with a wisp of gold in the middle, and is around five five, or five six.

"Kana Laci'anna Shoto came from the area around Mt. Hakobe, living with her mother, Tora Shoto. Her father was the leader of the Tiger humans in that area. Tiger humans used to be humans long ago, and used Tiger magic, allowing them to transform into tigers, and adjust their bodies to take attributes of a tiger's. Their magic infused with them, becoming permanent. Her father died in battle when she was only three years old. She was taught shadow dragon slayer magic, and was also taught ice make magic by Ur. She was taught how to fight from an early age, able to go fight against many opponents stronger than her, and leave a large dent in their numbers. Her little brother is Kabu, nine years younger than her, sent to be with her when her mother fell ill and died." The new informant said, looking to the council, relaying the information she had gathered.

A man with blue hair looked to her, and asked; "is there anything specific on the both of them?"

The informant smiled, her pink lipstick shining. Her teeth glittered, as did her eyes, shining a bright blue behind her glasses. "Why, yes, there are a few details left. I saved the best for last, in fact. The way that the masters give new members powers, is with Sky's magic. She can grow things

called 'Devil Fruit.' They give a person power, but at the cost of their ability to swim. I have one in fact; the Strong-Strong fruit is what it's called. I now have immense strength when I need it, but not always. The fruit's power is irreversible, once you've eaten it, you've eaten it. You can only eat one, or your body is torn apart from the inside. Sky can only grow them with some unique method involving her magic.

"Kana and Sky can perform a Unison Raid. Kana and Sky press their hands together, and tendrils of shadow connect them. Vines grow around Sky's legs, and thorns of ice attach themselves to the vines. Kana, being the stronger of the two, swings her around. The effect is devastating, especially when faced with a large group of enemies. They can also do a combined Shadow dragon slayer attack, linking arms and using whatever attack they wish. Their friend Yume, who is also a member, uses dream magic. When she is added to the equation, they can destroy an entire army on their own, but after they have used it, they fall asleep for weeks on end."

The man nodded in understanding, and simply said; "interesting, very interesting."

I smiled, my pink glossed lips pulled up in a wicked grin. My blonde hair was in pigtails, and it bounced slightly. 'Yes, yes it is. And this is only the beginning.' I thought, still grinning impishly.

The town of Magnolia, home to the Fairy Tail Guild. Within the guild, sits a young girl of only thirteen, (even though she's technically sixteen). One of the leaders of the Lollipop guild of Oz. She has spiky brown shoulder length hair, cat-green eyes, and fangs. She's about five foot three, and has a fairly muscular build. She has a black tank top on, that shows her dark – green guild mark on her right shoulder, a lollipop with angel wings and a devil's tail. This is her personal guild mark, the lollipop is required, but each member of the guild is given their own personal mark. She wears black shorts that fall to her knees as well. An eye patch is over her left eye, and she sits laughing next to her (adopted) older brother. She has tiger ears and a tiger's tail.

Now, you have the perfect description of me. I'm sitting next to my brother, Gray. He's only my brother 'cause we trained under the same master, Ur. Gray is like a big brother to me, always taking care of me and protecting me, even though we're the same age. Anyway, I'm sitting next to Gray, and talking, just kind of catching up. After a while, I move over to Cana Alberona, and we started drinking together. I can handle my liquor, enough so that it takes a LOT for me to get drunk.

Anyway, I had just finished my second barrel when Natsu came back, shouting to make his presence known. I made the smart move, and hopped up on a railing, avoiding the fight. I love a good fight, but I decided not to get in the middle of this one, especially when there was a new girl. I had seen the new girl as I hopped up on the railing. I saw the shock on her face when the fight continued, and the scared expression when Makarov stopped the fight.

I chuckled at the members when they were scolded. That is, until he turned on me. "and you, Kana, destroyed half of crystal town alone, and your guild has racked up more fines in a week than we have in a month!" he scolded, and I winced.

"Er, yeah, about that…." I trailed off, before the door slammed open, and I screamed, jumping behind a counter below me.

"Oh Kana~" a voice sung, and I was scared out of my wits. She sounded happy, but I knew better. She seemed to know exactly where I was, and leaned over the counter with ease, pulling me by my ear over it, and onto the other side.

"Sky! Hey buddy! Er, what're ya doin' here?" I asked nervously, as everyone stared.

"Oh, you know, bringing my idiot friend back home, because she ran away so she didn't have to clean." She said off-handedly, smiling as tendrils of ivy climbed up my legs, trapping me to where I was. I sweatdropped, and tried to escape, but to no avail.

"Don't let her take me!" I shouted, as she dragged me away, using the vines to trap me. "Noooo!" I shouted, as she dragged me out of the guild.

I could see people staring after me, and I was sure that Makarov had just continued where he left off. That bastard.

* * *

Chapter 2 – We are the Lollipop Guild.

These meetings are going to be mortifying. Oh, right, you don't know what they are. Right. Every year in a large building near the Lollipop Guild every single member of the light guilds shows up and everything that has been achieved during the year is discussed by the guild masters, while the members of the guilds are put into a large tournament. The members of each guild fight their comrades, until only the top member of each guild is left, and then they all fight each other.

This would be the first meeting that the Lollipop guild would be participating in, and we were prepared to make a big impact.

All of the guild members had been gathered into the main room, where a stage was. After all, it used to be a large theater for plays. There was a bright flash, and a cloud of dark and light green powder puffed up on the stage. Two cloaked figures appeared, one clad in a dark green cloak. The other was clad in a white cloak with blue lining and markings, held together with a clasp of a lollipop with angel wings and thorns on the stick. On the front of each cloak was a clasp of a lollipop mark that held them together and on the back of the cloaks was the same symbol embroidered onto it. The hoods were pulled up on both of the figures, hiding their faces in darkness.

"Who are you?!" A voice shouted, and other voices with similar reactions and tones, joined in.

There was a long silence as both figures raised their hands, and more smoke appeared, normal in color this time. Then, in a flash…..

Music started to play. It wasn't just any sort of music though, it was cheery music. Every member of Fairy Tail pinched the bridge of their noses or facepalmed, or just looked mortified.

"We represent the Lollipop guild!" A symphony of voices sung, and the figures threw back their hoods to reaveal…..

Sky and Kana.

Then the other figures appeared, half of them had faces that screamed 'we were forced to do this by the masters' while the other half had faces that said 'this is fun!'.

Once the members of the Lollipop

* * *

 **Actual Author's note: this next part is some sort of oneshot or seomthing? i don't know im crying this shit is fucked**

* * *

Okay, this is Kana's side of the story. It takes place around the same time that this happens. She got lost, and somehow ended up on The Thousand Sunny, and was telling the crew a story. The story of her life.

Kana was sitting on the railing of the Thousand Sunny, as it's crew gathered around her. "Alright, let me tell you guys a story." She said in order to cheer the crew up, or more like herself, as she had just witnessed one of her valuable family members death.

"Why?" Usopp asked, but sitting cross-legged in front of her nonetheless.

Kana chuckled, and looked at the sky. "It's something that an old friend used to say to cheer me up." She said simply, thinking of her best friend. She had the scars to prove how much she cared in fact, right there on her arms and body, gained from many fights. The rest of the crew gathered around her,

"This story starts with a girl name Allona." She began, not unlike an old woman waiting to tell a tale. "Allona was rich, but her parents beat her, and only used her for public appearances. Well, one day, Allona met a girl name Olivia. Olivia was nice to her, and the two became friends, because of similar ordeals. Allona protected Olivia, and Olivia gave her strength by always smiling."

Kana looked sad, as she stared at the sky, somewhat wistfully. "One day, these girls found portals, and went through them, hoping to escape their lives. They went to a world of magic, and made a guild. Their bodies had been reverted to infants, and when they were much older they met up again. They had many adventures, and everything was happy and fun. All until Olivia went on a mission, and was gone for a year.

"During this time, a war had developed, and Allona had to grow up fast. Because of her, there were many casualties that day, before they won. The once happy-go-lucky guild had gotten a darker tone to it. One day, Olivia returned. Allona was overcome with joy, or, she would've been, had she not buried her emotions so deep that she barely felt them anymore. She realized that because of her emotions, because of her carefree and cocky attitude, and the fact that she faced an enemy that she had no hope of winning against alone, she had, in a way killed most of the guild."

Usopp looked as if he was going to say something, but Kana held up a hand, telling him to stop. "Over the next few months, and eventually a year, she had forbidden anyone to tell Olivia anything about the war, saying that the missing members were on extended missions. Olivia eventually returned, but by then she was too late. Allona had completely cut herself off. Over the course of a year and a half,

Olivia's attitude worsened, because she wanted to be noticed. Allona couldn't do anything, and would flinch when she saw Olivia's face, because it would bring back the memories of the old days, and then eventually the memories of the war.

"The guild had come to the conclusion that Olivia needed to step down from master, because they thought that the attitude, the happy-go-lucky attitude would just cause them more pain. Some were angry at her, because she wasn't there when she needed them, but Allona was never angry. She was…. Confused. Confused and scared, upset and miserable, because every night she would relive that day, that horrible day. The one she had fought nearly killed her, nearly destroyed her.

"Well, one day, Olivia left the guild, and took every memory that the entire guild had of her, but forgot to take the neighboring guilds, who was close to their guild. That guild, Fairy Tail, was confused, and kept asking about Olivia, where had she gone, why wasn't she here? Well, Allona just got angrier and angrier. You see, she had paced about the hall in front of Olivia's room, which had been covered expertly with wall-paper, thinking there was something missing.

"It wasn't until one of the members of the other guild produced a photo of her and Olivia back in the old days, when their lives weren't serious, but littered with parties and getting drunk every night." Kana stopped, chuckling lightly, yet sadly as her eyes remained focused on the sky. "Allona was completely and utterly ticked off. She ran to the guild as fast as she could, and tore the wall-paper off of the door, and slammed it open. In the center of the room, hung from the ceiling, was Olivia's official cloak.

"Allona chased after her, and searched all over, but couldn't find her." Kana looked back at the crew, just as a small boat, hidden by the railing pulled up under her. She chuckled sadly, getting up on the railing. "Heh, not a day goes by that I'm not reminded of Sky, or the war that I fought. But I know this for sure; I must find her, before something happens. I have to tell her what really happened, before it's too late. I've made my mistake, and I've learned from it. You know, I kept the war from her so she wouldn't feel guilty. I wanted her to step down as a punishment for myself, and because I don't want the first person who was my friend, the only person who knows me best, and has never hurt me, to become like me. I have to set things right, but I just hope it's not too late." She said, before jumping off the railing, and into the waiting boat below, and then speeding off towards the waiting boat in the distance.


	15. Leopard Spirits - Rise of the Guardians

JESUS CHRIST

* * *

Chapter One

Snow. The snow and cold are my first memories, other than the moon. I remember waking up and shaking snow off of my pelt, before changing into a human form. I didn't figure out how to change freely for a long time by the way, it took me nearly two hundred years before everything was in control. Anyway, I had just turned into a human form, and had stared at the full moon, staring with blank eyes. Then, the moon spoke. The only thing it said was my name; Yukiko, spirit of snow. I had been wearing a pure white kimono with an ice blue obi, a pattern of snowflakes crawling up the side.

Those were the only words the moon ever spoke to me about, before I was left alone. I soon found myself a pack of snow leopards to play with, and stayed with them for some time, before venturing into the nearby village. I had said hello to everyone, but no one ever answered me. I found out why soon though; it was because no one believed in me, and they could just walk through me.

Over the years I found that the reason that the reason that the snow leopards that I had formed a bond with never died of age, or aged at all for that matter, was because they were my underling spirits. They followed me wherever I went, or, at least, one did. Her name was Haku, because she was pure white with gray spots. She was always a cub, not being able to age, but she was fun to be around, and was like a little child. We always caused mischief wherever we went, and I was happy because my snow leopards could take human form, because they were really just minor snow spirits that preferred the snow leopard. This meant that Haku and I could cause mischief in human forms, and talk a lot without me having to translate things inside my head first.

Unfortunately though, this love of mischief caused a lot of trouble. In fact, it was causing me trouble right now.

I smiled to myself as I sunk my claws into the banisters of North's workshop, having finally broken in after so long. I crawled along the banister, before finding the hallway that I was looking for, and sinking my claws into the ceiling. I dropped to the ground once I was out of sight, and adjusted my ice blue parka, dusting it off. White fur lined the hood, sleeves and hem of my parka, and I dusted off the snow from my baggy white snow pants, white fur lining the ends. I pulled my hood down, revealing my snow leopard ears, and lifted the edge of my parka up slightly to allow my tail to be free.

I mean, the better my balance is the easier I can sneak around. I padded softly down the hall, before hearing someone coming, and running at the wall, launching myself at the ceiling. I managed to hang on for dear life as a Yeti passed by, and I decided to climb along the ceiling for a bit. I heard speaking, and I followed it. I entered while they weren't looking at the door, and scrambled up to the ceiling, moving above the large globe. I had no doubt in my mind that I was hidden from view. I listened intently for a moment, before I realized….they were talking about me!

"Why would the man in the moon choose her?!" Bunny asked, and I nearly scoffed. Still mad about the blizzard I caused in eighty three, eh kangaroo?

"Who is she?" Jack asked, and I leaned forward, wanting to her what they were saying better.

"She is Yukiko, a snow spirit from Asia. She controls the snow, and can turn into a snow leopard at will." North explained, and I nodded. "She is also runner up for record on naughty list."

"She's a bloody nuisance is what she is!" Bunny said, and I would have growled, but didn't want to be caught.

I gasped as my fingers slipped, and tried to grab onto something to keep me up, but I couldn't. I cursed loudly as I slammed into the globe below me, and fell off of that and onto the floor. A string of curses escaped my mouth as I fell, and when I finally hit the ground, face down I might add, I had used words that not even the most hardened of sailor would use. I sat up slowly with a wince, before sweat dropping at the guardians that were staring at me.

I coughed loudly and stood up, slowly backing up towards the window. "Ah, hello there!" I said with a smile, slowly backing up. "I had hoped to make a better entrance than that but…. You see how that turned out. I'll just be going." I said, before darting towards the window. I was stopped by the Easter Kangaroo, and I sweat dropped.

"Where d'you think you're going mate?" He asked, and I smiled wide, showing my sharp canines.

"Why hello there 'Roo!" I said with a smile, clasping my hands together. He frowned, and I pretended to pout. "Aww, are you still mad about that little blizzard on Easter Sunday?" I asked and he grimaced. "Oh you are still mad!" I whined, placing my hands on my hips.

"You made it so that no one could go outside for a week!" He said angrily, and I pouted.

"Aww, I'm sorry, would a little kiss on the cheek make you feel better?" I asked, and before he could say no, I leaned in and kissed his cheek. You see, when a snow spirit gives someone a kiss with negative intentions, they are covered in a thin layer of ice that makes it so that they can't move for an hour. Of course, they can still breathe, but they can't move. I sprinted to the window, moving to jump out of it as fast as I could. "Don't mess with a cat Kangaroo!" I shouted over my shoulder, jumping out the window with ease.

As soon as I hit the ground I was running in my snow leopard form, darting away from North's workshop as quickly as possible. Once I was a good deal away, and I was sure that no one had followed, I shifted forms again, snapping my fingers. A small blizzard whipped away in front of me, and I stepped forward, into it, whispering where I wanted to go.

"Russia." I said simply, the wind and snow swirling around me,


	16. Grey Heart - Kingdom Hearts

AN: FUCKING END ME

* * *

Prologue – A vague beginning

The first thing that I can remember when I search through my memories, is the look on my father's face as he left. I guess I have my eidetic memory to thank for that, but it's more of a curse than a gift. I remember my father looking at me in his arms, and whispering my name. Just my name, nothing else, before he disappeared, leaving me alone.

I didn't grow up like most girls my age, but then again, what do you expect when you're not human? No, I'm a mix of two of the species native to my land; Harmonians, and Melodians, people of the song. They control things with their songs, which contain large amounts of power. This was only increased by the fact that my mother was a siren. This gave my power over sound a large boost.

I was treated as a freak, because I wield dual keyblades. I don't want to go into details on my past much, but eventually I came to find myself on a pirate ship, and became captain. Things have been good, even though I know what will happen one day, and I don't think I'm prepared for it. Though, I have to say that I have had a bad feeling lately, but I'm not sure why.

My name is Aria, and I can honestly say that I have no clue what the future has in store for me. But what I do know is that I will fight my hardest to save anyone I can from the sort of thing I went through, and save others from death, because let me tell you, it's very painful.

* * *

Chapter One: Destruction

The town was in shambles, no, the entire world was in shambles. I sat with my head in my hands, sitting on a chunk of exploded building. I had just narrowly saved my world from falling to darkness, but at what cost? I shook my head and pulled out my communicator, dialing the number of Disney Castle.

The communicator rung three times, before a voice on the other end answered.

"Disney Castle communications center! How can I help you?" A cheery voice that I recognized as Daisy's said.

"Daisy it's me. I need to speak with King Mickey." I said while trying to calm myself down. "It's an emergency. You know what? Don't bother. Tell Mickey I need help, and fast. The world was just invaded by heartless and these guys that wore black cloaks. I don't know if they're going to come back, but I have a hunch that they will." I said quickly, looking wildly around myself as I smelled a heartless nearby.

"Oh gods I can smell the heartless stench everywhere, it smells like death and decay. Daisy please hurry and get help, I don't know how long I can last on my own." I nearly sobbed, but dropped the communicator with a scream as a heartless sliced my side, the only reason that it didn't kill me was because I had dodged it somewhat. I summoned my Keyblades and destroyed the heartless, my blade embedding itself into the shadow heartless' chest.

I kept destroying heartless after heartless, trying to make my way to the keyhole in the center of the town. I coughed blood as I sliced through a particularly large heartless. I winced, holding my side. I saw a Gumi ship land nearby, and then another. People filed out and started destroying heartless. I shouted directions to everyone, as I knew the area well.

"I need the Keyblade users to come with me and seal the Keyhole!" I shouted as I realized that my silver hair was tainted with red. I ran towards the center of town, those with Keyblades following me. I hacked away at the heartless, and before long all of the heartless in the area were gone. I pointed both of my Keyblades towards the sky, where the clouds had formed a Keyhole. The others repeated this, and soon enough the Keyhole was locked. I smiled, letting my Keyblades disappear. I wobbled for a moment, before fainting. Honestly, this is the third time this week that I've fainted.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my eyes closed as I woke up. I opened the door to my room, and walked down the hallway. I soon realized that this was not in fact my house, when I fell down the set of stairs that were not there before. I shouted curses as I fell, and when I landed, I stood up with my hands pressed against my nose, as it was bleeding. I walked into the kitchen, realizing just whose house I was in. I scowled and sat at the table, muttering insults about the stairs the entire time.

A woman in her early twenties walked in, her dark hair tied in a bun. She sat a bowl of cereal in front of me, and I greedily ate it with a scowl.

"When was the last time you ate young lady?" She scolded, as she made pancakes and other types of food.

I shrugged, and raised an eyebrow at all of the food she had stacked up. "Making food for an army Ella?" I asked, going back to the pancakes she had set in front of me.

"Those people you called to help you stayed the night. There are three teenage boys that will be eating. I believe that the amount that I'm making is quite sufficient." She said coldly, and I snorted. Before long, we were laughing together.

"What is she doing here?" a cold voice asked, and I turned to see a teenage boy dressed in a black T-shirt and dark jeans.

"My name is Aria, as you full well know. I have been coming here for years Adrian. The least you could do is call me by name." I said coldly, going back to my food.

"No, she needs to leave. I have friends coming over, I have a reputation to protect mom! Get her out of here!" He shouted, throwing his hands in the air and throwing a tantrum. My eyes narrowed, and I stood up, a dark aura around me as all the water within a ten mile radius turned to ice.

"Excuse me?" I asked, walking up to Adrian with a glare.

He seemed oblivious to everything happening, and spoke again. "I said that you're a freak, and I have a reputation to protect." He said, and my eyes narrowed dangerously.

"And, what, exactly, makes me a freak?" I asked, my pointed canines glinting dangerously in the light.

If he was afraid, he sure didn't show it. "The pointed ears, the silver eyes, the song thing, and lots of others. The biggest though is the Keyblades. Only freaks wield Keyblades." He snorted, and I smiled, which made him scared. I drew my arm back and punched him in the face, knocking him out.

"Aria!" Ella said, obviously mortified.

"He's gone too far this time Ella. He insulted Keyblade wielders, and I can't stand for that. For thousands of years Keyblade wielders have had influence in everything. They are the light and they are the darkness. They make the worlds into what they are." I said, as I dragged him by the hair outside, and hung him up on the flag pole by his underwear and pants, along with his shirt.

I smiled at my work, and decided to go back inside. I went straight to the guest room and grabbed my clothes, which Ella had washed for me. I placed everything back on, and walked back downstairs. Ella had gone back to the food, and was setting it on plates. There were people at the table, but I paid them no mind.

"Drop by the house when the idiot outside finally wakes up and I'll pull him down." I said as I grabbed a pancake, causing Ella to slap my hand with the spatula in her hand. I winced, but ate the pancake I had anyway.

"No, you'll be staying here." She said with a frown.

"No, I'll be going to my home to start the repairs. No one else will do it." I said, frowning at the woman who was like an aunt to me.

"What about Airynn?" she asked, as I pulled down a bowl from the cupboard. I tensed, but Ella seemed to not notice. "She could do it. You can give her a message and ask her to start repairs with the other girls."

"Airynn is not here anymore." I said coldly, slamming the bowl down on the counter, nearly shattering it. I gripped the counter, creating cracks. "The other girls are gone as well."

"Well of course they're here, I saw them yesterday. Honestly, they didn't just get up and leave." Ella said, obviously oblivious to everything.

"Dammit Ella!" I shouted, slamming a hole through the counter. "I don't mean they're off on an adventure, I mean that their hearts were stolen! I WATCHED AS THEIR HEARTS WERE RIPPED OUT OF THEIR CHESTS FOR GODS SAKE! I SAW AILYNN, EMMA, MEDLIA AND NADIA BE TAKEN! THEY'RE GONE DAMMIT!" I shouted at my friend, as she seemed to finally understand. I shook my head and took a deep breath, turning around. "Now, I'll be at home, fixing up what little I have left. If you need me, don't bother looking." I said, storming out the door. I made my way to the large castle that served as my home on the edge of town, perched on a cliff. I sighed in relief, seeing that it was perfectly fine, no heartless had touched it.

I went inside, and climbed the stairs that led to the top room of the tallest tower. I opened the door to my room with a sad sigh, and flopped down into the hammock that served as my bed. I decided to close my eyes for just a few moments….

"Ven? Ven! Please wake up Ven!" A girl shouted, her silver hair falling in her face. "Ven please!" A boy with honeycomb hair was sitting on a white throne, asleep. "He isn't waking up this time, is he?" She sobbed, looking at her friend.

"Oh Ven, please wake up! Wake up!"

I gasped for air, sitting straight up and promptly falling from my hammock. I was in a cold sweat, and I felt better as I stood up and started getting changed. I pulled on a pair of dark grey capris that fall halfway down my calves, a golden Keyblade master symbol on the front of my left leg. I pulled a slightly lighter grey tank-top over that, before tying a silver sash around my waist that was about six inches in width, and about three feet long, the ends of it falling to my knees. I pulled a pair of dark grey ballet flats on, one silver and one gold anklet on each ankle. I pulled my Keyblade armor on, the straps forming an X that kept the heart shaped Pauldron on my shoulder, a golden Keyblade master symbol in the center.

I pulled my spiky silver hair back partially with a large green bow that was off to the right of my head, but still in the back, a large gold bell in the center of it. I tied more bells made of silver or bronze into my hair. I pulled the multi-colored wayfinder that Aqua had made me over my head, letting the cool metal and glass rest (partially) against my skin. Then I pulled my jewelry on.

I had a band of gold with an obsidian musical note in the center on my left bicep, and on my lower arm, just below my elbow was another band of gold, with the words 'Never forget' etched into it. There was a band on my right arm that looked like fire, a gift from a different friend, and a band made of silver with a crescent moon in the center. Around my neck was a choker with a Keyblade master symbol etched into the orange-brown crystal in the center. A ring that looked like flames was around my right middle finger, and on my left hand was a ring that looked like it was a gust of wind wrapping around my finger.

The bell that let me know someone was at the door had been ringing every five minutes, and so instead of running down the steps and most likely falling down them, I went the fun way. I walked onto the roof of my room, and took a running start, freefalling down, and pulled a bandana from my pocket, and caught myself on a rope, zip lining down to the door, and dropping down with grace.

I placed my hand on the knob of the door, opening it easily, as I pointed to the sign beside the door that said; Come on in and wait in the main corridor, I'll be down in a minute. In big, swirling black letters. I arched an eyebrow, and ushered them in. I was happy that Mickey was there, as he was the one who had wanted to introduce me to his friends next week, and it would save us both the trouble of having to make appointments.

I led them to the largest room in the house that contained comfortable furniture; The Greeting room. I opened the windows and the curtains with ease, letting the sun shine in. This room faced the ocean, and I relished in the smell of the ocean for a moment. I turned back to the guests with a smile.

"To what do I owe the honor of meeting some of the Hollow Bastion Restoration committee, and three people from Destiny Islands?" I asked, recognizing the smell of the two worlds immediately.

"How did you know we were from Destiny Islands?" A boy with spiky brown hair asked, and I smiled.

"Your smell." I said simply, and the boy next to him with silver hair nudged him.

"I told you to take a shower." He mumbled and I laughed.

"I meant your smell as an individual. My people have extremely higher senses than humans or most species. Each person has an individual smell, but everyone has a characteristic smell of the world they live in. Like the people of Destiny Islands smell like Paopu fruit and the ocean." I explained, snapping my fingers to have one of the many spirits in the house to fetch something. "Those from Radiant Garden, or, Hollow Bastion as you know it now, always smell like a mix of flowers and the crystal clear water from fountains. People from this world smell like the ocean and lilac flowers."

"So basically you're like a dog?" The brown haired boy asked, the girl next to him elbowing him.

"Yes, smell wise I am like a dog, but my nose is much more powerful." I said, looking up as a tray of cakes floated in, along with my medicine. I wrinkled my nose at the smell, the combination of the sugary cakes and the bitter medicine always set me on edge. "Do I have to drink it now?" I asked, looking at the ghost.

"Yes, you do. Drink the damned medicine or I'll haunt you." She said, her voice echoing through the house as her form became visible. Nathalie was her name, and she haunted this house for years, along with others who had died. She wanted to stay here and help me because I gave her a sort of closure on something. She was wearing a white dress that fell to her knees, and had a pair of boots on. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and I frowned.

"Oh fine Nathalie. I have to live with you for eternity anyway, might as well make it agreeable." I grumbled, downing the medicine in one gulp, my vision immediately clearing up, my senses becoming sharper. I stuck my tongue out in disgust, slamming the cup on the tray. "Nasty." I muttered, flopping into an armchair.

"COME OUT HERE NOW YOU BITCH!" An angry Adrian shouted, and I sighed.

"And that would be my daily opponent." I sighed, standing up and grabbing a cutlass from the wall. I opened the door to see Adrian and his friends there, looking very pissed. I raised an eyebrow.

"Don't hurt them too badly; you know how Ella gets when you fight." Nathalie said to me, appearing beside me, and I nodded.

"Well well well." I said, smirking and moving forward. Adrian and his friends all had knives or guns. "I'm assuming you're here for an attempt on my life again?" I asked, brandishing my cutlass.

"Oh look, you've gained a brain cell or two." Adrian mocked, and I rolled my eyes.

"You do understand that a normal Melodian or Harmonian would skin you alive, right?" I asked flippantly. "I must confess that the only reason I have not done so already is the fact that your mother has stood by my side for many years. She guided me when I had no idea what to do. To be honest though, when I snap, you're the first to go." I said with a grin that just screamed psycho killer from hell.

I smirked as everyone he had brought with him fled, seeing Nathalie behind me, and the fact that they did indeed believe that I was a psycho killer from hell. I smirked as Adrian's face went from cocky to afraid in a matter of ten seconds. I smiled once more.

"I believe I have proved my point. Please leave my property; I don't want the flowers to wilt from the stench of failure that you reek of." I said, slamming the door in his face.

I sighed and put the cutlass back where it was, and I walked back into the entertaining room. I smiled and sat down. I smiled apologetically, and rubbed the back of my head. "Sorry for the wait, those idiots come by every day to fight me but run away when I threaten them." I explained, before realizing I

hadn't introduced myself. "Ah, right, sorry I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Aria." I said with a smile, before motioning to Nathalie to introduce herself.

"I am Nathalie, I died over five hundred years ago I think. Honestly I don't remember. Aria saved me from falling to the darkness of my own soul, preventing me from turning into a heartless after death. I owe her, and so I stay with her nearly all the time. I can only leave here at night, or if I am in a container." She said emotionlessly, before darting away. I looked after her curiously, before turning back to my guests.

They each introduced themselves, and I smiled, nodding. I smelled the distinct scent of Radiant garden, along with the stench of cold ice like that of castle oblivion, but the most distinct smell was that of a fire. I lifted my head up just in time to see a man with spiky red hair walk in.

"Lea?!"

* * *

Chapter Two: Awaken

"Lea?!" I shouted, looking at the man in front of me with wide eyes.

"Rhythm?" He exclaimed, his eyes wide.

I smiled and jumped into his arms, hugging the man who I had last seen as a boy. "Oh it is you! I haven't seen you in so long!" I shouted, as he chuckled.

"It's only been ten years Rhythm." He said, and I shook my head.

"For you it's been ten years, but for me it's been over a thousand." I said, looking up at my friend after stepping out of his arms. "Pearls you've gotten so much taller. I have to nearly break my neck to talk to you properly." I complained, crossing my arms.

He chuckled, and I smiled. "There's a lot that we all need to talk about." Mickey said from behind me and I nodded, sitting back in the chair that I had been in before.

It was nearly ten hours later, and I was on the roof, thinking over everything. Apparently Sora, Riku and Kairi had been on an epic journey, as had Roxas and Naminè, Sora and Kairi's nobodies. Apparently things had become hostile in many worlds, as the darkness spread from some unknown source. Mickey had found a report of Ansem's that said that he suspected that there was another princess of heart. Mickey investigated this, and discovered that it was me.

Of course, I already knew this; I was just surprised that I had been found out so quickly. I sighed, looking out at the sea with longing. Perhaps…. Just one last time….. It won't hurt anything or anyone…. I thought as I took a step forward, hypnotized by the waves. I stepped onto the edge of the tower, and flung myself forward, freefalling into the waves below. I found I could breathe, instead of choking on water. I felt myself falling gently down, a bright purple light shining below me. I saw that I was on a stained glass platform, the image of my best friend Airynn there, dressed in a vest and a pair of shorts that hugged her curvy body nicely, her blonde hair tied in a ponytail. A sword was in her hand, held backwards. Her eyes were closed, and my heart leaped.

I had heard of this. It was called 'the dive to the heart', something that happened when it was time for a Keyblade user to start their path. A voice echoed around me, devoid of any tone or emotion.

"There is so little time, yet so much to do. Take your time, choose wisely, and do not be afraid." It spoke with no emotion, so I could not tell whether it was impatient or not. "The door is still shut. Now, step forward. Can you?"

I took a deep breath. If I stepped forward, there was no going back. If I stopped, and stayed where I was, then I would never know what would have happened. I took a calming breath, and stepped forward into the center of the platform. It looked as if Airynn was asleep, so she wasn't dead! No, I knew she couldn't be, she has too big of a role to play in this story, she couldn't have died.

Three intricate stone podiums appeared. On one was a sword, another a shield and the last was a wand.

"Power sleeps within you; you have only had a taste of the true power you could one day wield." The voice said, monotone as ever. "If you give it form, it will give you strength. Choose well, chosen princess."

I stepped forward, and hopped onto the platform with the sword, taking it in hand.

"The power of the warrior, invincible courage, a sword of terrible destruction. Is this truly the power you seek?"

"The power of the warrior is difficult to understand, as it is capable of the most sublime acts of kindness and good in this realm, or the vilest cruelties." I shouted, holding the sword in my hand. "This is the power I seek. The power to protect those I love!"

"Your path is set. Now, what will you give up in exchange for this power?"

I walked to the staff, and held it in my hand. I took a breath, and held it up.

"The power of the mystic. Inner strength, a staff of wonder and ruin. This is the power you will forswear?"

"The way of the staff and the way of the mage has led to much heartbreak for me. I could not bear to make the same mistakes that my father made, and so I will forswear it. I won't lie and pretend that I'm not tempted to take this power, but I will not risk it." I said calmly, holding the staff in the air as it disappeared.

"You have chosen the path of the warrior then?"

I nodded, smiling. The podiums crumbled, and I jumped off of them and onto the glass, the soles of my shoes clicking with each step. The platform started to shake, and the glass shattered, sending me falling into the darkness. The next platform quickly came into view, and my smile widened when I saw who it was.

Emma, with her red hair and freckles smiling with her eyes closed. A staff was in her hand, the staff itself was fairly plain, a large solid ruby at the top. She was dressed in a plain pink dress, her hair tied with two ribbons. The platform was a pinkish-red color, and I smiled.

There was a brief flash, and a sword appeared in my hand.

"You have gained the power to fight. Use this wisely, to protect yourself and others."

A shadow heartless appeared, and I got into my fighting stance, lunging at the beast.

"There will be times where you must fight, and others where you will not have to. There is a fine line between the two."

I quickly dispatched the rest of the heartless, using the blade to kill every last enemy. With a warning from the strange, disembodied voice, I spun around in a tight circle, killing the heartless that tried to kill me. I gasped as darkness spread over the platform, and pulled me under. I struggled, thrashing about until I found that I was on another platform. I gasped and leaped up. I nearly cried when I saw the next platform.

A black haired girl with white circles in her hair had her eyes closed. She wore a white button up shirt, and black slacks, her not small, but not large feet in a pair of heels. In her hand was a heart shaped shield of silver, a black obsidian quarter note in the center. She had always preferred to be the one defending. Her eyes were closed, her thick black lashes brushing the tops of her cheekbones.

"Medlia…" I whispered to myself, my eyes wide. I shook my head, and looked around. The voice spoke again, unemotional and distant.

"In order to protect yourself and others, leaps of faith and courage must be taken." This was the only words that were spoken, but I understood immediately. I took a deep breath, and moved to the edge of the platform, the soles of my shoes clicking against the glass. I took a deep breath once more, and threw myself over the edge.

I didn't have time to scream as I fell, but was quickly slowed. Once I was on the platform I studied it. It was a girl with a crop top and a miniskirt, both black in color with skull motifs printed on it. She wore knee-high boots with a skull clasp to keep the boots together. A Keyblade was clasped in her left hand, reminiscent of a skull and crossbones, a skeletal hand as the grip. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and unsurprisingly her bangs were held back by skull barrettes. Her eyes were closed, and a peaceful expression was on her face.

I smiled at my friend, Nadia, who was safe as well. Or, at least, she would be mostly safe. If my theory was correct, then Maleficent already had them. My heart was racing, and so I made myself calm down.

"With all light, comes darkness." The voice was cryptic yet again, but it was made clear as a shadowed figure of myself appeared. My mind raced as I faced off against the copy of myself. As we fought my mind was working on overtime. I realized that not all darkness needed to be destroyed. Because without the darkness, then the light would be overwhelming. I stopped, and made my keyblades disappear in a flash of musical notes and waves. I held a hand out to the copy, and smiled. We embraced, hugging until the copy disappeared. I smiled as the platform disappeared altogether.

The next platform I landed on took my breath away. In the center was myself in my usual outfit, wielding my dual keyblades, my favorite one in my dominant hand, my right hand that is.

Memories of the Heart. That was the name of it, the handle was a silver bar, and around it in the form of a heart were flames. Little crescent moons dotted the handle, golden in color. Twin vines encircled the main shaft of the blade, which was shaped like the tower of a castle, and dotted with

musical notes. Water-like metal encircled the bottom of the tower, and there were 'gusts of wind' around the tower here and there. The teeth were sharp and formed a heart.

My next blade was a black Keyblade that looked like a musical note, the teeth eight-notes. I had named it Siren's song due to the fact that small waves dotted the Keyblade, sirens and mermaids playing together in the water. The two keyblades were crossed in an X, and my eyes traveled to my face, which was adorned with a smirk, my eyes filled with glee.

Directly to the left in a circle was Ailynn, her eyes still closed, and blade still grasped backwards in her hand. On the right directly across from her was Emma, whose picture was in a similar state. They were always opposites of each other; Ailynn was always a tom boy while Emma was a girly girl. At the top was Medlia, and at the bottom was Nadia. Both were also opposites, Medlia being extremely tight assed about what she wore, always having to look classy, while Nadia wore what she liked, even if it wasn't appropriate.

My mind raced as I processed the information. There was a set of doors, and I opened them. There was a bright flash of light, and I was suddenly back on my home island. In front of me was a girl with spiky brown shoulder length hair, and I couldn't help but feel that I knew her. She sighed, and beckoned me towards her. She looked slightly irritated.

"Wait. The door will not open just yet. First, tell me more about yourself." The voice was cryptic as always. The girl then spoke.

"Th' names' Kana. I've been sent to get your questions for the dive of the heart. Well, one question at least. Then I can go back to my own business. Oh, and this isn't the first time you've seen me." She said, obviously bored out of her mind. She was sitting cross legged on the railing of the walkway that ran across the tops of the trees. This made me briefly wonder how she stayed up when the walkway was made of rope. I also wondered why she had tiger ears atop her head, and if they were real.

"Where have I seen you before?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

She waved one finger, and smirked. "Sorry little princess, but you'll have to remember on your own. I can't give away the answer to an important detail like that! No, there's a bigger meaning for me later on. You'll just have to wait. Now, my question to you is, what is most important to you?" She asked, looking at me with a smirk.

I pondered the question for a moment, and I smiled. "The bonds I have made over the years. My friendships that I've made, and will eventually make." I said with a smile, getting a smile and a nod out of Kana. There was a fire in her eyes, screaming that this was what she valued most as well.

"Good priorities kid. Now, go and visit with my best buddy Sky over there. She has the next question." She said, her hands grasping the rope as her tiger tail swished behind her, before latching onto the rope once again. She let go of the rope, and pointed to the green house. I nodded and walked over.

A girl who I assumed was Sky stood in the green house, talking to plants, and I could tell they were talking back, just by the way they moved, even if it was ever so slightly. She grinned, and waved me over. "So, instead of talking your ear off like Kana, I'll get straight to the point. What are you afraid of?"

Once again I thought it over, and nodded once when I had my answer. "Being indecisive. If I end up not being able to make a decision that would potentially kill anyone and everyone, I wouldn't be able to go on." I said softly, and the girl nodded. A voice cut through just as Sky was about to say something. She sighed and waved her hand.

"I was gonna talk your ear off now that I've got the question but apparently Alex has different ideas. Go on to the weapons room. That where Alexandria is." She sighed, waving me off.

I did exactly as she told me, and found a girl with violet eyes and red hair, and she cut straight to the point. "I want to go home so I'm not gonna waste your time. What do you want out of life?" She asked, and I thought about it.

"I want to be strong, so that I can protect the ones that I love." I said, and she nodded. The voice repeated my answers before speaking on its own.

"Your adventure begins in the dead of night. The road will not be easy, but the light that awaits you in each cardinal will sustain you. Hurry, young princess of heart, before the evil one destroys us all." I nodded once, and the voice spoke again. "The day that you open the door is far off, yet very near."

I let the light envelop me, as the island I was on disappeared. The platform I appeared on was one of Ventus, his sleeping form inside. I gawked at it for a moment before shadow heartless appeared, and I dispatched them easily. A glowing circle appeared, and I realized that it was a healing spot. A stained glass staircase appeared and I followed it to the next platform. I followed the platform to find that this one was of Aqua.

"The closer to the light you get, the darker the shadows appear." It said, and I looked to see that a shadow Aqua appeared. I destroyed it, before it turned to light, and I fought it again. Once I was done I was injured fairly badly. The next set of stairs appeared, and I found that this one was of Terra.

"The closer to the darkness you get, the brighter the light becomes." The next was a shadow of Terra, which changed forms on me, but eventually I beat it. I gasped for air as another healing circle appeared, and I gratefully took the opportunity, before the next staircase appeared. I slowly walked up it, before finding that it was one of me. All around my picture were circles of people I didn't know but was sure to meet, and people that I had only just met, the last ones of people who I already knew. I faced off against a giant heartless, and by the end I was sinking into the darkness, having just defeated it.

"You hold the greatest weapons of all. Remember: You will open the door."

* * *

Chapter Three: A fate worse than death.

I could hear voices as I slowly opened my eyes. I flipped over onto my stomach and coughed. I felt someone pounding on my back, as I emptied my lungs of all the water that I had breathed in. my form must have switched too soon, and I had inhaled the water. When I had coughed all of it up I rolled onto my side away from the water and took a deep breath. I eventually felt better, and I opened my eyes. I slowly pushed myself up, and the person helping me away.

"I can get up on my own." I growled, standing up on wobbling legs. I knew I shouldn't have looked out at the sea. The power the sea held over my bloodline was too great. It was one thing when I was out at sea, because the sea was always around me, but when on land the pull was far more powerful. I pushed my wet hair from my face angrily, and growled. I realized that it was Sora, the boy from earlier, with Riku and Kairi. My hands clenched into fists, and I took deep breaths. I calmed down soon enough, my anger cooled. I slowly walked inside, the cool night air blew right through me, and I was shivering violently.

I walked into the main room, ignoring everyone, and laid down on the brick of the fireplace, facing the flames. I was shivering violently, the shock finally setting in. I wouldn't have died, but I would have been submitted to something far, far worse. I shut my eyes tight, and pulled my hands over my ears. I felt a blanket being draped over me gently, before going away. I didn't realize that I was crying until someone wiped my face gently. I would have thought it was Ailynn if I hadn't saw her kidnapper with my own eyes. Ailynn was used to these little episodes, as was Medlia, Nadia and Emma, but Ailynn always calmed me down. She had always been with me, since I had escaped the tower.

I eventually fell asleep to the sound of someone speaking softly next to me.

I sighed as Aria walked in the door slowly, and lay down next to the fireplace, sopping wet and shivering. I realized that she was having another episode, and so I got a blanket. I placed it over her, and went to get more firewood. I placed a log in the fire, and sat next to her. I was a ghost, but I could touch things like I was living. I wiped her tears away, and sat there next to her.

I looked up at Sora, Riku and Kairi, as they had pulled her out of the water, evident by how Sora and Riku were sopping wet. I smiled and bowed my head. "Thank you. Thank you so very much for saving her." I said, my voice slightly cracking.

They each replied in their own way, until Sora asked why she acted like she did. I sighed, and brushed a lock of hair from Aria's face. I had no need for air; it was just an instinct that had never gone away.

"Part of her bloodline was of the sea. She switches forms so she can breathe underwater. She can only hold it for a short while though. The sea calls to her, and sometimes she dives into the water. If she's not paying attention, then she could permanently become a part of the sea. This is a fate worse than death for her. She would rather kill herself than stay a siren." I said quietly, before shaking my head. "She was angry at herself for allowing this to happen. She knows that if she stares at the sea for

too long that it will call to her. She was just scared." I answered, pulling the blanket over her shoulders. I threw another log into the fire, and turned the lights in the room off, ushering everyone out.

"I'll show all of you to your rooms, Aria will be sleeping in here for now." I said, before doing just that.

I groaned as the pain from all of the scrapes and bruises and sleeping on the brick platform of the fireplace started seeping in. at least I was warm and dry now, instead of sopping wet and cold. I slowly got up, and made my way up the steps of the tower that led to my room. I changed into an old pair of shorts that belonged to one of the older girls, and a large t-shirt that fell to mid-thigh. The shorts fell just above my knees, and I walked down stairs, the only piece of jewelry left was my wayfinder. I yawned, my hair now down completely, and having air dried, was even spikier than normal. My bangs were all over the place, and my pointed ears showed through. I didn't care how I looked, I was so tired.

I walked into the one room that I knew would help me; The Music room. I sat at the piano, and started to play a song, one that reminded me of a familiar story.

Forgotten days, a fading memory

Lost and no longer seeking one another

Desperately still, you're reaching toward her

Hopelessly certain you can mend the broken

Longing for a light lost in time, so distant

Pleading with fate, to be forgiven

Allow the shattered hearts to be regathered

Fighting for love to have a meaning

Without a promise to embrace the darkness

Hoping for a dream lost in light, so distant

Reasons ignored, no longer caring

How long it may take just to mend the heartbreak

Lost and unsure, the girl is fading

A distant fragment of nobody important

Wishing for a day lost in memories distant

A single tear slid down my cheek, and I hastily scrubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. Singing had always calmed me down, even though most of the time it leaves me with an empty feeling. I sighed and walked to my room again, pulling on a silver bikini and pulling a seashell necklace over my head, along with a silver cloak, realizing that I would have to go there. It was my only hope of finding the answers I so desperately needed. I walked downstairs and into the kitchen, grabbing a small bite to eat. I gulped down some water, as Nathalie floated/walked in.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked as she took in my appearance. I sighed and turned to her.

"Nathalie, I had an awakening." I said, and her eyes went wide. "I need the answers to this riddle, and the only one who can give them to me is her. I have to go, for Ailynn and the others. I need to know why." I said, grasping my friend by her ghostly shoulders. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before shutting. She fell to the ground, crumpled in a heap. I apologized to her softly, before opening the back door and bolting towards the sea. I ran up the cliff that was nearby, diving off of the edge with ease. There was a flash of silver, and just before I hit the water, my legs melded together, forming a tail of silver scales. My hair grew longer, and my face shifted, making it extremely beautiful like all siren faces were.

I swam quickly through the water, before arriving at a beautiful palace of coral and crystals. I took a deep breath before jumping through the bubble that enclosed the castle, allowing the inhabitants to walk on two legs. I prayed to whatever god there was that mother would be in an agreeable mood. But then again; when was the queen of the sirens in a good mood?

* * *

Chapter Four –

Nathalie sighed, looking out the window for the seventh time in the hour. It had been three days since Aria had left to confront her mother, and beg for answers. Everyone could sense her worry, and so they tried to ask her for as little as possible. They mostly explored the town in their free time, or some of them helped with rebuilding the town. Sora and Riku spent most of their time rebuilding their own Gummi Ship, the Excalibur, and once that had been finished; they focused on fixing up the other Gummi ships.

It was around dinner, when everyone was back at the castle that served as Aria's home that something actually happened. Aria stumbled in, clutching her side and panting; crimson blood ran down from a gash on her forehead, and several other wounds that looked like they were from spears. She collapsed on her knees, coughing up blood.

After not too long she had been bandaged up and set by the fire to help her dry off, due to the fact that she was soaking wet. Many questions were asked, and she soon answered.

"Well, I went to the palace of the sirens' to ask for information on something." I said my voice raw from choking on water when I had first escaped. I winced as I shifted positions; the wounds on my legs were now bandaged, having been scraped on the coral in the secret tunnel I had used.

"Well, they didn't take kindly to having me around. I did get my answers though." I said as I pulled a book from my cloak with a smirk. I slammed it on the ground in front of me with a wry smile. In large swirling letters read; Tales of the Sea, the myths and Legends of our people.

"A book?" Mickey asked, confused, and I nodded once, opening the book to one of the passages. A girl with silver hair and two keyblades stood out in drawing form, a large cartoon grey heart over the girl's chest. It was me.

"Is that…. You…?" Someone asked, (I didn't bother finding out who) and I nodded once.

"This is an ancient legend that was prophesied many, many eons ago, when the sirens were a newly formed colony, having broken away from mermaids." I explained, before clearing my throat and reading the book out loud.

"Many, many eons ago this prophecy was foretold by a traveling witch, who had been paid by the sirens to tell them of the time when darkness would befall their kingdom. For three days and nights the witch with hair like the flames in which she spied her visions and eyes like blood labored over a fire. She wore a red cloak with a strange symbol on it, a crown with a strange swirling whirlpool-like symbol behind it. They say that she was but the first to appear, and that others like her appeared in time.

"Ah, I apologize, I got off topic. Anyway, the witch labored over her fire for three days and nights, and the sirens did not hear nor see her during that time. But, at midday, she returned with a picture in hand, of a girl with silver hair and a strange outfit. The girl obviously had siren blood, but it

was also plain to see that she had Harmonian and Melodian blood as well. It was then that the witch spoke.

"On the day that a siren of highest beauty, and the highest quality of song has a child with the ruler of the Melodians and Harmonians have a child, your kingdom will begin its descent into madness."

"When the queen of the sirens asked her what the child will look like, the young witch laughed without humor.

"The girl will have hair like silver, as spiky as the jagged coral that surrounds your palace. Her eyes will be like the crystal waters of your fountains under the full moon's light, her ears pointed slightly like that of an imp. She will have the markings of the Melodians and Harmonians on her left leg. She will be able to wield the greatest weapon of all. Her senses will be far better than a human's, and her speed will match even the greatest of racers. She could wield great power, defense, or the most powerful of magicks, but not all of them. In order to gain one, she must give another."

"The queen, who was saddened with the knowledge that her kingdom would fall to chaos, begged the witch for a way to stop this. The witch thought for a moment, before returning to her flames. For another three days and nights the witch consulted her flames, and each day the queen grew more afraid than the last." I paused for a moment, coughing and taking a long draft of the glass of water next to me, emptying it out easily.

"When the witch returned, she was immediately granted an audience with the queen, who rushed from her throne to the witch, grasping her hands and begging for the knowledge. The witch spoke simply, but not entirely hesitantly.

"There are two ways to stop this prophecy from coming true. The first, and best way, is to change your ways. Stop valuing beauty above all else, and the mother of this girl with not fall to jealousy.

"The witch has said, to which the queen had recoiled as if the witch had lashed at her with a whip. 'And the second?' the Queen had asked, not wanting to change her entire kingdom.

"You must kill the baby in infancy, or in the womb, even if this means killing the mother as well.

"The witch, obviously disgusted by the Queen, had spoken in a bitter tone. The Queen had nodded, deciding on this option. Then, the witch had narrowed her eyes, and spoken angrily.

"You would rather kill your own descendant than change your people's vanity? Then I curse you, O' Queen of sirens, to the greatest of heartbreak, and all of your descendants, bar the poor child that will be at your people's cruel mercy. Until your people change your vanity, I curse all those that value it more than wit and strength, kindness and love. If your ways are not changed, I will wreak havoc upon your kingdom, doing unto you what that babe has endured tenfold.

"The witch had cursed the sirens in anger, waving her hand as she stalked away, anger blazing in her eyes and fire scorching the coral and crystal of the palace floor. The Queen brushed off the witch's anger, and in doing so made an all-powerful enemy."

* * *

Actual author's note: this next part is in a thing called "fix"dunno what lil me meant but here you go

* * *

Chapter One – The destruction of a world.

In Radiant Garden (as it was now known, because it had finally been restored to its former glory) the sun was shining, and many people were out and about, children playing in the street, the elderly telling stories of the past, and the parents talking and just socializing. It had seemed normal, normal for everyone but the Keyblade master and his friends that is.

"Sora, why are we in Hollow- I mean, Radiant Garden again?" A red haired girl asked the boy in question.

"King Mickey summoned us, he wants us to meet a friend of his or something." Sora said, not looking at the girl as they walked towards the house that belonged to the Hollow Bastion restoration committee.

"Think of it like this Kairi; we can see Axel and everyone again." A boy with pale hair and sea - foam green eyes said to the girl, looking at her over his shoulder.

Before she could answer though, she realized that they had arrived at the small cottage house. The door was slammed open, and the three friends were pushed aside. The sky had gotten considerably darker as they drew closer to the house, and now it could be seen that heartless were appearing in the trees. Of course, the three friends had been oblivious to this as they walked and talked, thinking it was just a trick of the light.

"Heartless, incoming!" The voice, who they realized belonged to Yuffie, shouted, and the rest of the committee darted out, weapons in hands. Of course, the three friends were confused, but fought anyway, even when King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy appeared from seemingly nowhere.

Soon enough, the heartless had disappeared from view, leaving the illusion of peace, if only for a moment. This was shattered, of course, when they saw an armored figure riding something like a skateboard, but heartless were on the person's body, clinging to them, as they thrashed around, trying to free themselves. The person crashed to the ground, leaving a large crater. Soon enough, an armored hand popped up, and a now unarmored head popped up, revealing that the person was, indeed, a girl. Her silver hair was stained with blood, as was her pale face, her silver eyes narrowed in a half-wince half-glare. She gasped, as she slowly brought herself up, and held her side, gasping for air.

"Aria!" King Mickey shouted, dashing over to the girl, who was now coughing up blood.

She waved him away, taking a deep breath, and standing up. "I-I'm fine, Mickey. Let's focus on dealing with these heartless first, okay?" She smirked, catching sight of a heatless, and dashed forward, without a weapon. Before anyone could stop her, she was in front of the large heartless, kicking it backwards. She let out a screech, her pupil changing to resemble a musical note, as the heartless

clutched where its ears would be. She let out one after another, stunning heartless, as the others dispatched them. She looked weaker and weaker with every screech. Then she motioned for them to step back, and they did so, just as a wave of heartless rushed forward. She took a deep breath, and let out a deafening roar/screech, shattering the heartless' eardrums, and knocking them backwards. Then she fainted, falling to the ground with a thud.

I remember that something had felt off, all day. The sky didn't look the same color of blue that it usually was, but I blamed it on the death of one of the sky people. The sea looked a little more violent, and everyone seemed to be on edge. Yet I decided to blame it on something else. I was only a little surprised when the men and women in black cloaks appeared. Most of them took the faces of the ones that I had known in Radiant Garden, and a couple of other worlds, but most from Radiant Garden. I was a little more surprised when they took my crew members hostage, and they couldn't fight back. What surprised me (and angered me, along with a mix of emotions) was when they killed them in front of me, holding me hostage.

Somehow, I managed to

Something had been off the entire day; I could feel it in my heart. I didn't know what would happen, but I could feel it all day. King Mickey had asked me to come to Radiant Garden, and I had just been about to leave when things went wrong. Heartless swarmed the world, killing anybody and everybody that came near. So I suppose that I wasn't all that surprised when I saw my crew, and best friends killed before my eyes, but that doesn't mean that it didn't hurt. I don't know how, but I had somehow ended up in an entirely different place. I remember passing out, right before I ended up where I did.

As I slowly woke, I found that it was night-time, and I was on some sort of cliff. I wondered briefly if Airynn had slipped me some sort of drug; it would be just like her to do something like that. That was when I remembered everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. I got to my knees, my Keyblade still in my clutches, which I pushed into the ground.

Pain stabbed at me, and it was evident that I was badly wounded. I let out a sob, as the pain of losing my friends devoured me, and I let out a long howl of pain, just one note, long and sad. I let out a sob, as I saw my friends' faces dart across my vision.

"Airynn!" I howled, mourning my best friend. I heard footsteps behind me, and a cloaked figure came running up, alongside a boy with spiky brown hair, another with pale hair, and a girl with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair.

I snarled at the sight of the man in the black cloak, not really seeing anything. My rage enveloped me, and, even though I was badly injured, I lunged at him, my Keyblade crossed to make an X. The first of my Keyblade, Grey heart, was beautiful. The hilt was a large heart, silver in color, the teeth a heart as well, sharpened to perfection. My second Keyblade was a black Keyblade that looked like a musical note, the teeth eight-notes. I had named it Siren's song due to the fact that small waves dotted the Keyblade, sirens and mermaids playing together in the water.

Anyway, I snarled at the man in black, and lunged at him, my Keyblade forming an X. I sliced down, just as he blocked my attack with chakrams. I lashed out, fiery hot rage burning in my eyes. "YOU DID THIS! YOU KILLED THEM!" I shouted the pain and fury evident in my voice.

I knocked the man back, as his friends came running, three of them with Keyblade, and others with various weapons. Apparently, his other friends showed up shortly after he did. I knew I was outnumbered, but I didn't care. I spun in a circle, tears streaming down my face, as I shouted as many spells as I could. They struck randomly, barely ever hitting, but every so often, I used as many limits as I could, something I learned from an old friend.

I could feel the blades hitting me, as I swung wildly, letting loose as many attacks as I possibly could. I couldn't feel any exhaustion, for I was fueled with rage. "YOU TOOK THEM FROM ME! YOU TOOK AWAY ALL I HAD LEFT IN THE WORLD!" I shouted, swinging at the man in black again.

I was sobbing, and tears clouded my vision, but still I persisted, until I ended up falling to my knees with exhaustion and blood loss. My Keyblade dropped from my hands, as I fell onto one hand, the other clutching my side, before dropping onto my back. I could feel a Keyblade diving through the air, and braced myself, ready to die.

I smiled, and mumbled my best friend's name. "Ventus… Aqua….." I braced myself, and waited for the pain, but it never came. Instead, I heard the clash of blade against blade. I looked up, to see…. "Ventus!" I shouted, looking at the golden-blonde haired boy, and smiled. Tears were streaming down my face, as I jumped up and embraced him.

He gently pushed me away, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but…. I'm Roxas, not this person who you call Ventus." He said, his tone made it obvious that he was confused.

"But…. I can feel his heart, right here…" I said, placing my hand over his heart, right before passing out.

I was sitting on the edge of the roof that belonged to the tower I lived in. I was singing an old lullaby my guardian taught me, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Um, excuse me…." A boy's voice asked, and I jumped. "Oh! I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you!"

I giggled, and smiled. The boy was handsome, with his golden-blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked like he was around my age. "It's okay. I just don't usually get visitors around here often. Are you from another world?" I asked, looking at him curiously.

"Y-you know about other worlds?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Of course I do silly! I mean, how else would you get up here? The tower is guarded by quite a few different beasts, and I highly doubt that you're my prince charming." I said as I rolled my eyes.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!" He exclaimed, looking slightly irritated.

"It means, that I doubt you would be my prince charming, I can tell you're not from this world by your smell. People of this world have distinct smells that lay behind their personal ones. You smell like the ocean, and grass, while people from this world solely smell of the sea and lilac flowers." I explained, rolling my eyes once again.

I realized that I was dreaming, as the dream abruptly stopped. I remember that day clearly, as it was the day that I met Ventus. We talked a lot that day, and every so often, when I was visiting other worlds, we would bump into each other. It was nice.

I felt a presence come up next to me, and I swung around. "Ventus!" I shouted, and ran into his open arms. It may have looked romantic, but it was anything but that. Ventus was like a brother to me. I would use my magic to talk to him for days on end, whenever he was sleeping, or when he had free time, and would use the crystal ball I gave him.

He smiled, and we just sat like that for a while, as tears streamed down my face, and I sobbed. "Hey there stranger." He mumbled into my hair, and I smiled.

"So you really are dead then, huh?" I asked, and he nodded.

"More like asleep, but basically. I don't think Aqua and Terra are going to come and get me anymore. But Sora was always really nice to me, even when he didn't remember that I was around. Then Roxas was nice too, we talked a lot. He's Sora's nobody. Treat them nicely, alright?"

I nodded, as a sob was ripped from my throat. "Please Ven, don't leave!" I shouted, tears streaming down my face, as a soft light enveloped him.

He smiled, as he faded away, and spoke softly. "Hey, don't cry, we'll always be connected, right?" he smiled, as I sobbed his name once again, a soft light enveloping him.

"VEN!" I sobbed/shouted, reaching out towards him.

"VEN!" I shouted, launching out of the bed I was in, trying to reach my friend. I sobbed once again, clutching the bed sheets. "NO! VEN PLEASE COME BACK!" I shouted, searching for my best, and first friend. I fell to the floor, not realizing where I was, as I saw an orange orb floating in front of me.

Inside, I could see Ven's smiling face, as the orb slowly moved away from me, dropping a small star-like object, grey in color, with a silverish-blue lining it. I clutched it to my chest, and sobbed once more, as images flashed in front of my eyes. I saw Ven, Terra, Aqua and I playing together, in our dreams, as I could call hearts to myself, letting us play together, even when we weren't. I could clearly see Ven's face, smiling at me right before he left, telling me that he would be alright.

I felt a hand on my back, somewhat hesitant, before someone rubbing slow circles between my shoulder blades. I cried until I was hiccuping slightly, and then stopped altogether. I looked up, and saw a girl with brown hair and a pink outfit sitting next to me. She smiled, and I couldn't help but manage a weak smile back.

"Hello, I'm Aerith, are you okay?" she asked, looking slightly concerned.

I nodded once, and hesitantly stood up, the metal star clutched desperately in my hands. "Y-yeah…. Is this…. Radiant Garden?" I asked, looking around me warily.

"Yes, it is. Are you the one that King Mickey sent for..?" she asked slowly, and I nodded once again in response.

"Okay, come with me and I'll take you to get cleaned up." She said simply, and I looked around the room for a moment, before finding my bag, and picking it up, and following Aerith out the door.

"Aria." I said, looking at the floor.

Aerith looked surprised for a moment, and looked back at me. "What?" she asked and I looked up.

"My name, it's Aria." I mumbled, looking back down at the floor.

"Well, Aria, it's nice to meet you." She said with a smile, and I looked up and grinned. She motioned for me to follow her, and I did, right into a fairly large bathroom with a large bathtub inside. She got the water running, and took out a towel, before stopping the water. She turned so that her back was towards me, and I tilted my head slightly.

"What are you doing Aerith?" I asked, and she giggled.

"Go ahead and get undressed, and I'll help you clean some of your wounds." She said simply, to which I blushed with embarrassment.

"Oh." I said lamely, getting undressed and stepping into the Luke-warm water with a sigh, before sitting down. Aerith heard this, and turned back around, grabbing a bar of soap and some shampoo and conditioner. I could smell the soap from here, and it smelled like the sea.

She scrubbed my hair, and I cleaned my own body when she turned around, but she cleaned my back for me, and helped with my arms. She also spoke a cure spell, to heal the gashes and cuts for me. She saw the Wayfinder in my hands, and went to take it, but I held it protectively to my chest, my eyes wild.

"No! Y-you can't take it." I said, holding it to my chest.

"Alright Aria, just switch it to the other hand for me please." She smiled, and helped me scrub my hand clean. "Aria, a friend of ours, Axel, is wearing the cloak of Organization Thirteen, but he's on our side, so please don't freak out." She said, and I nodded slowly.

"Okay….. Oh!" I said in sudden realization, and looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry… for attacking you and your friends I mean. I forgot what happened until you mentioned King Mickey, but I realized that you can't be bad, if you know that Mickey sent for me. You see, organization thirteen came to my world and destroyed it, and I mistook him for one of them and-" I babbled, and she laughed.

"It's okay Aria, you didn't know!" She smiled, and so did I. Soon enough, she was standing with her back to me again, as I slipped my underclothes on, and then the dark grey capris that fell halfway down my calves, the Keyblade master symbol on the front of my left leg, and I had a slightly lighter grey tank-top over that. I tied a silver sash around my waist, about six inches in width, and about three feet long, so that the ends of it fell to my knees. I had a pair of dark grey ballet flats on, with one silver and one gold anklet on each ankle. I pulled my spiky, waist length silver hair back, and brushed through it, before tying a large green bow into the right side of the back of my head. After this was done, I tied a large bell into the center of it, and some more in the rest of my hair. I pulled my Wayfinder over my head and around my neck, so that it was a necklace, and rested my hand on it for a moment, before letting my hand fall to my side.

I had a band of gold with an obsidian musical note in the center on my left bicep, and on my lower arm, just below my elbow was another band of gold, with the words 'Never forget' etched into it. There was a band on my right arm that looked like fire, a gift from a different friend, and a band made of silver with a crescent moon in the center. On my left shoulder was a metal armor plate shaped like a heart, which lets me use my Keyblade Armor. Around my neck was a choker with a Keyblade master symbol etched into the orange-brown crystal in the center. A ring that looked like flames was around my right middle finger, and on my left hand was a ring that looked like it was a gust of wind wrapping around my finger.

I turned and I smiled at Aerith, as she gave me a concerned glance, and I picked up my bag, and as I was about to stuff the dirty clothes in, she stopped me. "It's okay, I'll wash them for you, give them to me." she smiled, and I bowed my head in thanks, before handing them over. "C'mon, I'll give you a tour of the house, since everyone's out."

I smiled, and nodded enthusiastically, before she gave me a tour of the house. I decided, after a while, and with permission from Aerith, that I could explore town, under the condition that I had to be back by sundown. I was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, exploring, when I saw it. A small café that was selling sweets. I jumped down off of the roof I was on, narrowly avoiding landing on top of a boy with

spiky brown hair. I threw an apology over my shoulder, and went into the shop, ordering a pastry and a glass of juice to go.

I smiled wide, as I took a bite of the sweet pastry with a strawberry filling. It looked similar to one of the treats that we had back home, but simplified. It was like a Lecai cake, round in shape, filled with fruit, mostly Lecai berries, but often times people didn't like the bitter-sweet/sour taste of it, and so they replaced it with strawberries. It was fairly warm, but not too warm, just the right heat. It tasted amazing, and I took a gulp of my juice, orange, as it turns out, and smiled. I had only just exited the shop, when a Keyblade was pointed in my face.

"Aw, come on! This is the first pastry I've had in months! Let me enjoy it before we fight!" I whined, stuffing the rest of it in my mouth. I downed the rest of the glass of juice, and took a big gulp of air, before crumpling the paper cup and throwing it into a nearby trashcan. I smiled at the silver haired boy across from me, before letting out a small screech, temporarily stunning him, and darting past him and his friends, who were clutching their ears. I jumped onto the roof of a building, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, escaping from the silver haired boy.

I stopped, after having been running for a while, and I smirked, but it fell from my face when I realized that I had no idea where I was. I sighed, and looked around, finding a small cliff-type place, and sat down, running a hand through my hair. I sat down, before flopping down onto my back, crossing my arms behind my head. I sighed, as I stared up at the sky. I shook my head, as I thought of home, and all of the times that Airynn and I had stared up at the night sky on the deck of the ship, just talking for hours on end.

"Oh Airynn, look at me, moping about and crying. If you were here, you would a smacked some sense into me." I mumbled, looking up at the sky with dry eyes, even though I felt like crying. I sighed sadly, and held my hand to the sky, as it was painted with pinks and reds, along with different shades of orange. "Heh, look at me, talking to myself. That cannot be a good sign of mental health." I mumbled yet again, placing the palm of my hand over my face.

* * *

Prologue – A vague beginning

The first thing that I can remember when I search through my memories, is the look on my father's face, as he left. I guess I have my photographic memory to thank for that, but it's more of a curse than a gift. I remember my father looking at me in his arms, and whispering my name. Just my name, nothing else, before he disappeared, leaving me alone.

I didn't grow up like most girls my age, but then again, what do you expect when you're not human? No, I'm a mix of two of the species native to my land; Harmonians, and Melodians, people of the song. They control things with their songs, which contain large amounts of power. This was only increased by the fact that my mother was a siren. This gave my power of sound a boost.

I was treated as a freak, because I wield dual keyblades. I don't want to go into details on my past much, but eventually I came to find myself on a pirate ship, and became captain. Things have been good, even though I know what will happen one day, and I don't think I'm prepared for it. Though, I have to say that I have had a bad feeling lately, though I'm not sure why.

My name is Aria, and I can honestly say that I have no clue what the future has in store for me. But what I do know is that I will fight my hardest to save anyone I can from the sort of thing I went through, and save others from death, because let me tell you, it's very painful.

* * *

Chapter 2 – Lost

Aerith was worried, Aria hadn't come back yet, and it was sundown. She had just finished explaining to everyone why Aria had freaked out, and attacked them, when Riku had decided to put in the fact that he may or may not have attacked her earlier, thinking that she escaped. She ran away, and went off to who-knows-where, and hadn't returned.

Everyone was looking for her, searching high and low. Cloud was the first to find her though, he, Riku and Sora had teamed up to find her, defeating any heartless that dared cross their path. They saw her lying in the grass, curled up into a ball on her side. She was fast asleep; strands of silver hair were blown gently away from her face as she lay there, fast asleep. She had a large green bow in her hair, a large, bronze, basketball sized bell tied into it. She had more bells tied into her hair, making you wonder how she moved so silently, when they were obviously making soft chiming noises as she slept.

She looked like a doll, and the only way that you could tell that she wasn't was by the soft rise and fall of her chest. She rolled over in her sleep, mumbling something about 'stupid flying monkey's' and a 'stupid Airynn, taking all of my Lecai berries.'

Cloud might have laughed, if it hadn't been for the fact that a heartless was drawing near. He was about to jump at it, when the girls eyes shot open, two Keyblades materializing in her hands, as she sliced at the heartless, killing it in an instant. The Keyblades disappeared in a flash of musical notes and small wave-like swirls. She rubbed her eyes, and plopped back down onto the ground.

"Geez, I guess I shouldn't have used that sound blast earlier, I'm exhausted! I should find that guy and apologize to him, before it's too late." She mumbled, before flopping backwards, her arms behind her head. "I wonder what Medlia is doing…" she mumbled, before shaking her head again. "Haha, look at me Airynn, mumbling to myself like a crazy person!" she laughed, staring at the sky with a sad smile.

She looked slightly alarmed for a moment, before darting into a sitting position, and calling her Keyblades, looking directly at Cloud, Sora, and Riku. "Come on out, I know you're there, it's just a matter of time before you force me to take action." She said flipping her Keyblades so that she was holding them backwards, and moving into a fighting stance.

Sora moved forward first. "Hey, it's okay! I'm not going to hurt you, I promise! Aerith explained what happened, and we came to find you! She said she was worried since you didn't come back at sundown!" He said, as she pointed a Keyblade at his neck.

She seemed to visibly relax, as she lowered the Keyblade. "Oh…. Sorry, I kinda got lost running away from this guy who tried attacking me and…. Hey!" she exclaimed, catching sight of Riku.

"Riku, is there anything that you wanted to say…?" Sora asked, trailing off as Riku stepped forward. It was agreed that Riku would apologize to the girl, even if he didn't want to.

He sighed, and crossed his arms. "I apologize for attacking you earlier; I thought that you had attacked Aerith or something and escaped." He apologized, looking straight at the girl, who sighed.

"I don't want you to apologize if you don't mean it, but I would like to apologize to you and your friends for attacking, and for using that blast of sound earlier today. So, call this some-what even. I mean, I still owe you guys, but think of that attack earlier as nothing." She said, waving him off, and looking to Sora. "Well, lead the way o mighty Keyblade master." She mocked, rolling her eyes.

"How did you know I'm a-" Sora started, but she cut him off with a giggle, before launching herself forward, using his head as a launch pad of sorts, darting from tree branch to tree branch. She let a smile form on her face, as she ran; the three boys following close behind.

"If you wanna find out, you're going to have to catch me~" She sung/said, before darting away, as the boys followed from the ground. They saw her narrowly dodge a branch from above, before smacking into another one, and falling through the trees and landing.

She stood up straight with a wince, and tilted her head back, keeping the blood from dripping. She searched herself for something, and, upon finding it, pulled out a handkerchief. The three boys' eyes were wide, as they had never heard half of the vulgar words she was using, and the other half were in some strange language.

She held up one finger, as she did this, and eventually, she pulled the hanky away from her face, and touched her nose gingerly. "Broken, great, just great." she mumbled, searching herself. She found whatever she was looking for, and placed it in her mouth, and, set her hands on either side of her nose, as the boys watched, confused for a second. Cloud realized what she was doing first, and made a move to stop her, but before he could do anything, she set it back in place with a screech of pain and a loud cracking sound, muffled by the cloth. She was panting afterwards, and with shaking hands, took the cloth out of her mouth.

"Sorry you had to see that." She mumbled, before passing out into Cloud's arms.

"Bipolar much..?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow. Cloud and Sora nodded in agreement, as they ran back towards Merlin's house. By the time they got back, everyone was at the house, and Aerith looked relieved to see that the younger girl was safe. They set her on the couch, and everyone came into the room to get a good look at her.

It was around this time that the king, Donald, and Goofy showed up.

* * *

Chapter 3 – She can eat more than Riku…..

I slowly woke up, aware that I was on some sort of couch, and alone. I yawned loudly, and stretched, my neck and back popping. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, and held the wayfinder around my neck with both hands, and smiling. I lay back down, and pretended to still be asleep, as someone walked towards the room. I stayed still, other than breathing, as King Mickey's voice made its way to me.

"So she's here? I didn't expect her to be here…" He trailed off in a worried tone, and I smiled, before sitting up.

"She has a name, Mickey." I said with a smile, looking at my old friend, "As you full well know, old friend."

He smiled, as I looked at him. "It's been a while, Aria." He smiled, as I did too. "I'm glad to see you, but I'm sorry that it is under these circumstances." He said in a worried tone.

"Why don't you gather everyone, and I'll explain everything that's happened on my end, then you explain what's going on." I smiled, slowly standing up, mumbling a cure spell to fix the swelling of my nose. I stumbled for a moment, but quickly regained my balance. I smiled at Mickey, before walking into the kitchen, and searching for some sort of food, I was starving! I soon found a box of Fruit Loops (coincidentally my favorite), and cheered, as I reached for the box. But, because of my height, I had to stand on the counter to reach it, as it was on the top cabinet.

I stood on my tip-toes to reach it, and managed to brush it with my fingertips, before nearly losing my balance, but I caught myself on the cabinet. I huffed, and reached again, and this time I almost reached it. I growled, and stood on one foot, reaching as high as I could. I was fairly tall, reaching to almost the five foot ten mark, yet I couldn't reach that freaking box!

"Graah!" I shouted/growled, "You've gotta be kidding me!" I shouted angrily, still reaching for the box. I had taken my shoes off first of course, so I didn't dirty the counter.

"Aria, are you oka- OH MY GOSH WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Aerith half-shouted half-asked, as I stood on one toe, reaching for the cereal.

"Getting….The….Cereal…" I grunted, reaching for the box, before falling backwards, onto my butt. I pounded my fists and feet onto the floor angrily like a child. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" I shouted, glaring at the box of cereal.

"Aria! Are you okay?!" Aerith asked, running over to me.

"No, I am most certainly not okay. THAT CEREAL IS TAUNTING ME!" I shouted, glaring at said box. Aerith looked at me like I was crazy, and to be honest it wasn't that far off the mark. I was hungry, exhausted, and sweet-deprived. I told her as such, with a sigh. "Sorry, being tired, hungry, and pretty much deprived of sweets got to my head."

I crossed my arms, and glared at the box again. "That box mocks me…." my glare intensified, as I could pretty much hear it taunting me.

"I'll be right back; you stay right there, okay?" She asked, and I nodded, not really listening. I heard her leave, and I got back onto the counter, ready for round two. I still couldn't reach, so I thought of how to get it. I realized that I should just have jumped from the beginning! How silly of me! I smiled at my ingenious plan, and just as I heard someone walk in, I jumped for the box. I heard a shout, and, as I landed again, falling from the counter, and…. Into someone's arms.

I looked up and saw the blonde haired guy from earlier, and smiled. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking down at me with an expressionless face.

I smiled, and giggled uncontrollably, holding the box up high as he sat me down. "VICTORY!" I shouted, holding the box like a war trophy. "Now, where is the milk?" I asked, looking around, and seeing the fridge, I went over and got the milk, and in the cupboard I found a bowl. I smiled, and poured the cereal in the bowl, then the milk. I didn't bother with a spoon, instead gulping/eating the entire bowl right there.

I could tell that people were watching me with amazement, as I gulped the entire bowl down, and then got another, and another, until I had finished off the entire box. I went to reach for another one, standing on the counter, and jumping again, before anyone could do anything. I landed perfectly on my feet on the ground, having had some food in me now. I ate the next box, which was Cocoa puffs, my second favorite. I ate that box as well, but, before I could get another one, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up to see a girl with a headband and a ninja outfit on, smiling slightly, even though she was practically sweat dropping. "Hey, why don't you save the cereal for breakfast?" She suggested, and I nodded reluctantly.

"Alright…" I mumbled, and then snapped my fingers in realization. "Ah! I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet!" I said sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck in embarrassment. I looked at the people staring at me, and recognized Aerith, the man that was with the two boys that chased after me earlier, the one with the darkness in his heart, and the Keyblade master. I recognized the man in the black cloak, and there was the girl who just talked to me.

"My name is Aria, I come from Oceanic Melody, a mainly sea-based world. Got it memorized?" I said with a large smile, and a low bow. The 'got it memorized' thing was something I picked up from an old friend. I straightened, and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry that I attacked you all when I first came here, and even though it's no excuse, I wasn't in my right mind at the time." I explained.

The Keyblade master introduced himself first. "My name's Sora, this is Riku," he said, pointing to his silver haired friend, then, pointing to the girl next to him, he said; "Then this is Kairi."

I smiled, and nodded to them. Each person introduced themselves, and when my eyes rested on the man with red hair, recognition danced through my head. "Lea, is that you?!" I asked incredulously, staring at the man who I had known to last be a boy, with wide eyes, as he stared at me as well. "It is

you!" I shouted, practically bouncing up and down with a smile, as I rushed towards him, and stopped barely in front of him.

He chuckled, and ruffled my hair. "Heh, same as always, eh, Aria? I didn't really think it was you, it's been so long. I forgot that time passes a lot differently in your world." He said, and I looked up at him with a smile.

"The last time I saw you was here with Isa and Myde! I was alone, but we all went and got Sea Salt Ice cream and you showed me that cool spot in the castle that had the view of all of Radiant Garden!" I exclaimed, remembering the entire thing quite clearly. My smile faltered as I looked around though, searching for the blue-haired man and the blonde haired man. "Hey, where's Isa and Myde?" I asked, confused.

Lea looked sad for a moment, but shook his head. "We all have some explaining to do, why don't we go into the living room and have this discussion." He said, and I nodded, and followed him. The others followed, and I saw Roxas and Naminè behind them, holding hands, much to the oblivious Sora and Kairi. I smiled, and sat in a chair that let me look at everyone. They all sat in their individual chairs, and I felt Lea ruffle my hair once more in a comforting, and encouraging gesture.

I let out a small sigh, and knitted my hands together. "Alright, the story begins thousands upon thousands of years ago….."

* * *

Chapter 4 –Aria's Tale

"Thousands upon thousands of years ago, not too long after Oceanic Melody was just formed, there was a prophecy. The prophecy said; 'When a girl with hair like the moon's silvery beams, eyes like the waters of the crystal fountains of the Siren palace Grand hall, and a heart pure of light, but shrouded in darkness is born, she will one day bring the destruction of the world.' This is a generic version of the prophecy, as every native species of the world has their own version of it, but it remains the same.

"The first that you need to know, is of the species, the first being Melodians and Harmonians, also known as the song people, were one of the dominating species of Oceanic Melody. Melodians have white hair with black note-like markings that are natural, and have an air of importance to them. Harmonians have black hair with white note-like markings, and have an air of ordinariness to them, but an 'underlying importance'. Melodians can only sing or play melody in a song, and Harmonians can only play or sing harmony. It's not that they just don't, it's that they literally can't. If they try to, no sound comes out of their mouth, or they can't move their body. A mix of the two though, can.

"The half-breeds either have pure white hair, or pure black hair, and usually only sing (or play) one part, but they can sing or play both. Melodians and Harmonians, (along with half breeds) have a line of a song either written in words on some part of their body, or they have a small section of notes 'tattooed' into their skin somewhere. The mark appears when the child has reached their coming of age day. The day could be from anywhere at ten years old to twenty nine years old. Some never reach it, either dying beforehand, or not becoming a true Harmonian or Melodian.

"Harmonians and Melodians control things with song, and generally only sing one type of song, finding it hard to sing any other type of song. Harmonians and Melodians rule by power, the most powerful at birth is given the right of heir, and once they reach their coming of age day, they are allowed a small period of time, usually one week, to prepare to fight the current heir to a battle. The winner is proclaimed heir, or keeps the title, and the loser is, well, dead. It is a fight to the death after all. The power of a Melodian or Harmonian isn't given by their parents, but sort of a 'chance of fate'. A peasant child, born on the streets with barely enough to eat, can become heir."

"Isn't that kind of barbaric almost?" Interrupted Kairi, looking at me.

"Yeah, it is, but even though we were very technologically advanced, we were primitive." I explained, and then went back to the story.

"The next species, and last, that you need to know is the Sirens. Sirens are the mermaids' dark counterparts in a sense. They use their songs to lure men (or women) to their death at sea with their looks and their songs. They choose their ruler by beauty and prowess of luring people to their deaths. The most powerful and beautiful becomes Queen. Unlike the Melodians and Harmonians, this trait is passed down the line, so only those in the royalty become the ruler. Sirens are mainly female, and only keep the males around for reproduction purposes, as the females can only lure people in. Sirens feed from people's hearts and souls', being able to see them as an evolutionary trait, as is their beauty.

"The rest of the species are humans and various animals. Oceanic Melody was a sanctuary for those who lost their worlds, and more often than not, those who lose their worlds end up there by chance. The Melodians and Harmonians have always had a silent feud with the Sirens, because of the prophecy. It was banned to marry or be together with a Harmonian or Melodian if you were a Siren, and vice-versa."

"So your world is a lot like Traverse Town." Sora confirmed, and I nodded.

"Well, as a little girl, my mother and father were not allowed to be together, so they met in secret. Well, my father left when I was only a year old, and my mother found out about my power when I was two. She was scared of me, because I could lure better than she could even at my young age. She realized that I was the one of the prophecy, and locked me away in a castle, a dragon as my guardian. The dragon was always kind to me, taking a human form to cook things for me, and make my bed. She was never allowed to show me her human-like face though, so I never knew who she was. At least, until she died that is.

"I was locked in the tallest tower, guarded by traps and multiple other monsters and such. Most of the rooms were enchanted to be bigger on the inside than the outside, so I had plenty of room for my green house. My guardian taught me magic, and once, she brought me a bag of holding! I use it even now. Well, over the years, I learned how to wield many weapons, along with Grey Heart and Siren's Song. One day, I happened to get into another world somehow, where I trained under Yen Sid for a small amount of time, and became a master.

"I got my own special armor, and set out to different worlds. The magic that held me to the castle was strong though, and so I would randomly be transported back there, and whenever I went back, I was immediately taken to the tower. The tower had barriers that didn't allow me to escape, and the only way was to jump off of the tower and into the ocean below, hoping I didn't hit a rock or something, and shift into my Siren form right before I hit. I didn't try it though.

"One day, I went to master Eraqus' home, where he was teaching his students, Aqua and Terra. We became good friends, and one day, when I knew I had to leave, and wouldn't return for a long while, Aqua had given me my Wayfinder. I returned to the tower, and stayed there for a long time. I waited for my prince charming to come. I waited for many, many years, nearly five hundred if I remember correctly, as Sirens and The people of Song age a lot differently than humans do. Many adventures had come, never to exit, thinking that they could bypass my guardian or the many traps, thinking that the tower was filled with treasure, instead of this one single girl.

"Well, I waited, and during that time I met Ventus. I helped Ventus out in many worlds, but I don't know the exact details. Well, a little while before this big fight in the Keyblade graveyard, I met with each of my friends in some way or another. Ventus gave me the bow in my hair, the gold circlet around my lower arm that says 'never forget' the anklets that I'm wearing and the ring on my left middle finger. Terra gave me the necklace, and Aqua gave me all of the bells, as she knew how much I like the sound of them. Well, while they were having the big battle, which I had no idea about until a little while ago in a small message from Yen Sid, I was here, in Radiant Garden talking with Isa, Myde and

Lea. We were having sea salt ice cream on the castle, while talking. Isa gave me the moon bracelet, Myde gave me this sash, and Lea gave me the flame one, along with the ring." I smiled, looking at Lea and showing him I still had it, after all these years.

"So you really did keep it. I knew you didn't like girly things, but I couldn't help getting you that." He chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

I smiled sadly, and nodded. "How could I not keep it? You were always one of my best friends Lea, even if I didn't get to see you that often."

"Eventually, I had to leave, and I returned home. After that I waited nearly five hundred years, during that time my guardian was killed by an adventurer, and then he was killed shortly afterwards. I finally took the plunge; quite literally in fact. I jumped from the top of the tower and shifted at the last minute. I wandered the ocean for a long time after that, until somehow I found my aunts old pirate ship, and somehow became captain. I sailed with them for many years, my first mate and best friend was Medlia, a half-Melodian half-elf with a temper. She wasn't on the ship, so I can only hope that she's somewhere in another world, safe and sound.

"Things started getting weird about a month or so ago though. Heartless weren't rare by any means, we found them on our ships, and in the town as a constant, but nearly everyone had a weapon, or there was always someone that had one around you, so you never had to worry if you couldn't fight. Well, the heartless started increasing in numbers, and we were about to mention this to the King, when they came.

"Organization thirteen came, or, to be more honest, it was Amarlui and Arlene, or, as you know them Marluxia and Larxene. They attacked my ship, and made me watch as I watched my friends die in front of me. They killed them all, one by one, even little children!" I growled angrily, and shook my head.

"Sorry." I apologized with a sigh. "Well, they came, somehow unlocked the keyhole, and let the world be enveloped by darkness."

"Aria, you still need to explain about Ventus." Lea reminded me, and I smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, right." I rubbed the back of my neck, a bad habit from when I was younger that stuck. "Ventus was… put to sleep I guess you could say, but it was more like, he died that day. Aqua was left to wander in the darkness, searching for a way out, while Terra's body was taken over by Xehanort. How do I know this? Simple, Sirens can recognize people from a distance by their souls, and if your bond with that person is strong enough, you can sense things, but only faintly. I was looking through Aqua's eyes at some point, and saw what happened. I can't see her anymore, nor can I see Ven or Terra." I said, a defeated tone taking over my voice, as I lowered my head to look at me lap.

"Why did you call me Ventus?" Roxas asked suddenly, and I snapped my head up.

"Huh?" I asked stupidly, looking at him.

"When you were fighting, and Sora and Riku almost killed you, by accident of course," he added hastily from the look his somebody was giving him. "You said; 'Ventus' and I suddenly had a body again, and then you said 'Aqua' and then Naminè had a body too."

"Okay, I have the ability to talk to people through dreams, which includes those who were like you, a nobody reunited with their somebody. I couldn't reach Ven, until just now. I got the gist of what happened. When Sora was a kid, he was on the beach of an island or something, well, he was with someone, Riku I think." I added after a moment of thought. "I don't know most of the details, but basically it's like this."

I pointed to Riku, "When you were a kid, Terra performed the Keyblade inheritance ceremony, allowing you to wield a Keyblade of your own." I said, and he stared at me with wide eyes. "Don't worry, it won't really affect anything now that Terra's gone, but basically you inherited his Keyblade, modified to yourself. A part of him, his heart, is in you." I turned to Kairi with a smile. "Kairi, when you were little, you touched Aqua's Keyblade, and started an indirect Keyblade inheritance. I can see a part of her soul in you. That's why Naminè came back too; she has a small part of Aqua in her."

"When Sora was on the beach, he called out to Ven's heart, and offered him a place. When Sora became a heartless, and Roxas was formed, Ven's heart went to him, and gave him a chunk of it. Not of his memories, but more like his entire being. It's because of this, that Roxas has feelings. Ven gave him a sort of heart, without giving him his." I explained, trying to make sense of the words that were flowing into my head. "So, that's why you look a lot like him, but aren't really him. I guess that a part of your souls, the one that isn't really yours, recognized me, and wanted to help." I smiled sadly, before standing up.

"Where are you going Aria?" Aerith asked, looking at me as I went towards the door.

I smiled back, bright and cheery. "Don't worry; I'm just going for a walk. I won't stray far." I smiled, walking into the cold night air. As soon as I got out of sight of the house, I broke out into a run, as tears streamed down my face. I ran straight to the castle, which was abandoned, and ran to the secret spot that Lea, Isa, Myde and I went to so many times.

* * *

Chapter 5 – She's a….. PRINCESS?!

Soon after Aria left, King Mickey had launched into this long story, and, finally, got to the reason why he had summoned her.

"I found a report, or, a legend. It said that there is another Princess of Heart." The King said, looking grimly at everyone.

"Another princess?!" Nearly everyone was surprised, other than Goofy and Donald of course, as they had already heard this.

"Yes, it said that the girl was born with a heart that shone like the sun, but because of how dark her world was, it was shrouded in darkness. Her heart shone brightly though, turning the light of her heart grey.


	17. A game of shadows - Homestuck

AN: I hate my old self oh my god

* * *

A Game of Shadows

Prologue

My name is Yoko Chibari, and I'm a girl with god-like powers, raven wings and two best friends that I thought were fictional. I was raised on an island way out in the ocean, with no one there. I had learning videos that taught me how to read, write, all that jazz. I actually had no idea how old I was until I found this gigantic timer that goes off every year, adding one to the count of years with every birthday of mine that passes.

Anyway, I'm five foot four inches, of an athletic build, I have shoulder length black hair that I cut myself with a knife, and Cornell red eyes. I wear hipster-framed glasses because I have sight problems, but I have these shades that are prescription lens and look like Yoko's goggles from Tengen Toppan Gurren Lagann. I only wear my shades when I'm out exploring or training, because my eyes are really sensitive to light. My normal outfit is a pair of black cargo shorts, a black tank top with my symbol (Shinigami-Sama's mask from Soul Eater) done in Cornell red on the chest. I wear punk boots with long black socks. I'm called Goth by some of the people that have seen my picture, but I don't know what that is, or why people call me that. I always have my headphones on so I can listen to my music on my iPod, or I have them around my neck.

I live high up in the trees in a mansion-like house with many different rooms, most of the doors of those rooms are locked, but one unlocks every year on my birthday. I have this pulley system that I can use to get up to my house, but I usually just climb up one of the trees. I also train in the woods of my home every day. I train in archery and swordsmanship. I use several different blades (mostly just for training though), such as my Rapier, Claymore, Double helix claymore, and my Katana. I have a single bow for training and for fighting; my Longbow, made of dark wood. The arrows are made of plain wood, the shafts painted in my signature color, with black fletching and biting steel tips.

I also know how to play the piano, but mostly by ear because I had to teach myself. I love anime and manga, video games, training, listening to vocaloid, music in general, homestuck, and a bunch of other stuff. I collect skulls from dead animals (and the occasional human skull I find) and use them as weights and stuff.

But there is one thing that stands above the rest.

I'm from the future.

And I don't mean like 'when you read this, you'll be reading my past writing'. I mean, I'm from the year 2815, pretty much eight hundred years ahead of you guys.

Society has pretty much fallen, due to our own mistakes. Many different alien (well alien to us) species have invaded the planet, trying to claim it and take control, while those of us who were able escaped the planet when it happened. Those who were not so lucky were either caught and enslaved or fled to islands far away and well hidden. That was five hundred years ago.

My bro set this house up for me a long time ago, even though I've never actually seen him.

Right, getting off topic.

Anyway, my best friend, Jack, has been kicking back and chilling across the ocean on his own little island, too. He and I exchange messages to each other all the time, pestering each other when we can or talking over video camera.

He was the one who thought the game would be a good idea.

He had no idea how wrong he was.

I used to live a somewhat normal life; wake up, donk around on the internet for a bit while pestering Jack,

* * *

A game of Shadows

Prologue

Two broken ribs, one bruised; a deep gash spilling blood from her forehead, and one eye so swollen she can't see from it. Everything was hazy, and she figured she most likely had a concussion. A horrible wound on her stomach, blood pouring from the wounds as though it was a fountain. Two fingers on her right hand were snapped at an odd angle, nose bent and whether the liquid dripping down her face was blood, tears, or a mixture of both, she had no idea, but she was betting on the last option.

She sobs brokenly as agony courses through her veins, and bites her lips to keep from wailing to the heavens, letting her cry of agony fade to a dull whimper mixed with muffled sobs. Even at her age of six her brain could clearly process that screaming in a large area densely populated by wild animals and rogue robots that could easily kill her was a horrible idea. Knowing that if she attracted any attention to herself she would most likely wind up dead, she tries her best to remain silent.

She wrenches her mind away from the agony blinding her, and considers just how lucky she was to have only suffered the injuries she'd gotten after falling nearly fifty feet down. She'd tipped over the railing of the walkway while running from a rather ravenous beast that she had no idea how it snuck into her home. Thankfully she'd managed to catch on many of the branches and large leaves of her jungle-like home, and they had painfully slowed her descent.

She sobs brokenly once more, the sound barely muffled by her closed lips – there were no ambulances like she'd read about in books, no hospitals anymore, and if any more of her blood was spilled she would die. Her only hope was Buzzsaw, a barely-functioning robot that she had no idea how to fix with her limited skills and six-year-old hands.

A roaring sound began to fill her ears, and her heart clenched in terror, and she forced her broken body to go absolutely still, only allowing ragged breaths to hiss into the air. She can't bring herself to hold her sword in her hands, and she can't move from her spot, so lying still and hoping that whatever is coming closer isn't what she believes it to be.

Terror grips her heart icily as she recognizes a mechanical whirring rather than a low animalistic growl, and she attempts to play dead, hoping that the drone will think she's dead and leave her be. She sobs in terror as a mechanical hand wraps around her upper arm, screaming as she begins to be moved.

It's too late she's going to die.

Ohgodohgodohgodohgod-

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Yoko launches out of bed, eyes wide and frantic as she searches the room for the drones that she was sure were after her, breathing labored and shoulders heaving, tears slipping down her cheeks. She stops as she realizes it's alright – there are no drones after her, just her life-long companion Ren tapping on her forehead with his beak.

"H-hey Ren…" She says slowly, gently running her shaking hand over the raven's feathered head, taking deep breaths and attempting to calm herself down.

Ren caws at her, gently nuzzling her with his beak and cawing softly in an attempt to calm her down. It eventually works, and Yoko crawls out from beneath her Cornell red blankets that had tangled around her tanned legs, and she slowly stands on still shaking legs. She sighs heavily and slowly pads across the room and then slips into the hallway, trudging into the kitchen to quickly fix herself a breakfast of toast and a glass of orange juice.

She quickly downs her breakfast and sits at the table, opening the video call app on her computer. She waits patiently for the app to load, and smiles as a group call pops up immediately. She clicks the accept button and quickly whips her shades in place, glad that she'd remembered to wear the shades that were like her favorite anime girl's – Yoko from Tengen Toppan Gurren Lagann.

"Hey Ren. Sorry I just….had a bad dream." I explain, before crawling out from under the Cornell red blankets that are tangled around my legs. My tanned feet touch the cold wood of my floor and I wince. I sigh and stand up, trudging out of my room and down the wooden corridor, turning to the right and opening the door for the bathroom. I don't bother shutting the door as I get undressed, and Ren flutters into the bathroom as well, settling himself on the edge of the sink.

I yawn as I turn on the water for the shower, rubbing my eyes as I get in with another yawn. As I wash my hair Ren flies into the shower, landing on my shoulder. I take a dab of soap and rub it on his feathers before going back to washing my hair. Ren nuzzles the side of my face and I smile.

"Good raven, best friend."

I quickly finish up with my shower and walk out of the bathroom stark naked – it's not like anyone was gonna see me, and I could care less about it. I go into the kitchen and start to get food for the morning, but I'm interrupted by the pinging of my computer. I walk over to it and open it up, seeing that it's a group call from Eric and Jack, my two best friends that happen to be chilling all the way across the world, one in the remains of New York, and the other on an island that's a few days flight from here, but I can't afford to use the gas on my hover board to go visiting.

"Hey Yoko!" A cheerful voice echoes from the computer as Jack and Eric's faces pop up. They barely react to seeing me naked, as this has happened several times before.

"You're naked again…?" Eric asks, and I smile, chuckling.

"Hell yeah man – just woke up." I say with a smile, standing up as Renwick lands on my shoulder. "So what's up? I'm making breakfast while we talk."

"Well, we've got our hands on the copies, for one." Jack says and my attention snaps back to the computer as I ignore the cereal that I have out.

"What?!" I nearly shake the computer as I grab it.

"That's right! We got all the copies we need – the others will be receiving their copies later today, but get your alchemizer ready to go!" Jack says, before adding "And please put some clothes on." To the end.

I smile, nodding once to my friends before ending the call.

It's finally time, and I'm raring to go, yet so nervous I can hardly walk.

I dash into my room, pulling on my underclothes and tying my hair up, the long

* * *

AN: these next chapters are a draft of the rest i guess? idk

* * *

Prologue

All I want is a nice, normal, uneventful day.

It doesn't seem like it, but nowadays it is WAY too much to ask for.

Maybe I should explain about myself a bit first.

My name is Yoko Chibari, formerly Emily Youngson, local Otaku, game nerd, and loner. I have waist length black hair, which I usually pull into a high ponytail, and keep my bangs back with skull shape barrettes. I have a slightly rounded face with large brown eyes and medium length eye lashes, a small nose and thin lips. I never really wear any makeup because I don't see the need to. I mean, why would I put all that gunk on my face if it's just going to get messed up during the day?

Anyway, I'm about five foot four inches, and of average build. I'm not skinny, but I'm not really fat or chubby, either. I typically wear a pair of dark skinny jeans and a plain black tank top with my personal 'symbol' on it. To be honest my 'symbol' is really simple; a skull similar to that of Shinigami-Sama's mask from Soul Eater. The skull is done in Cornell red, my favorite shade of said color. I also usually wear punk boots – the kind with buckles on the sides. I don't really like jewelry, and I don't wear any. It's not just because it's pretty girly, and I'm not, it's also because I'm not always careful with my jewelry and I'm afraid that I'll break it or lose it by accident. I do, however, have to wear glasses, and I have the thick, square frames, a lot like hipster glasses.

I often spend my time watching anime or reading manga, reading books, playing video games and going to the local archery club for fun. I love playing around on the internet, my favorite things to do on the internet is to use the fan made version of PesterChum, donk around on Tumblr or Youtube, or the occasional piano song commission on my Youtube or Tumblr account. My favorite by far though, is reading a comic called Homestuck.

My favorite characters are Dirk and Dave Strider, the Otaku and the Cool kid.

Ah, I'm getting off track.

Right, explanations.

I used to have a pretty normal life, I lived in Beach City, Texas for all of my life in a regular old house, until that day that is. But that will be explained later on. My mom was your typical work-all-day-drink-for-most-of-the-night parent, and my father ditched us when I was a kid. You know, typical run-of-the-mill family stuff. My day was pretty normal; wake up, go to school, go to archery club, make dinner for myself then donk around on the internet or watch anime until bedtime.

I was an average student, A's, B's and a C every once and a while, and a D on occasion. I didn't really have any friends at school, I mean, I had people that I talked to on occasion, those friends that you only talk to during school because they're there.

I was a normal, Homestuck-loving Otaku and gamer, with the exception that I'm in archery club and I play piano. To be honest, the only reason I learned to play piano was so that I could play songs from Animes and so I could play Homestuck music.

Homestuck is a webcomic by a man named Andrew Hussie. Homestuck is based on four kids playing this game called Sburb, and they use strife specibi and fetch modus' just like we do. Hussie ended up basing the game off of partially real-life things. Like fetch modus' and Strife Specibi.

Getting off topic again. Sorry. Anyway, things were just fine.

Then I went to play a fanmade version of Sburb.

I was so wrong. So very, very wrong.

Let me back up to the beginning of that day, shall I?

It had all started a few days before my sixteenth birthday, a warm spring Saturday…..

* * *

Chapter One

I was awoken from a dream of tall dark towers and obsidian stone streets by a sharp pain on my forehead. I shot up, my hands flying to my forehead as I looked around wildly. A raven sat perched upon my pillow, radiating a smug attitude. When my eyes settled upon the obsidian feathers of the raven my eyes narrowed in anger.

"David Renwick!" I shouted angrily, balling my fists up at my sides. I had named him Dave because of one of my favorite homestuck characters, Dave Strider. The 'Renwick' part because Renwick means 'raven' something. I can't remember to be honest.

I growled slightly before standing up and stretching, a loud yawn escaping my lips. Everything was really blurry, as normal, so I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed my square framed glasses, placing them on my face with a scowl. I decided to get in the shower before doing anything, and so I walked over to my dresser and capchalouged my clothing with a frown. I pushed my glasses slightly up as I rubbed my eyes while yawning.

As I showered, I recalled the dream that I had had that night. The one of obsidian towers and darkened streets, the wails of the damned from the hollow streets. It seemed quite like Derse, from my favorite online comic Homestuck. The dreary music that warbled throughout the district I was in was deeply saddening, even more so when I had heard a shrill screech and the melody echoed no more.

I shook my head, clearing it of all thought, and I quickly cleaned myself up and got ready, brushing my teeth and hair quickly, before pulling my obsidian hair into a high ponytail, my bangs kept to the sides by skull shaped barrettes. I checked myself once more before leaving the bathroom, and walking into the kitchen with a small sigh. I looked outside to see the mailman stopping in front of my mailbox, dumping all of the mail belonging to the house in my mailbox.

I smiled excitedly; one of my internet acquaintances had made a version of Sburb, well, a fan-made version of the game at least, probably with different characters to choose from, if not just a make-your-own character type game. He had shipped the game to me on request, and he said that 'I'm only letting about four people check out the game for me, and you're one of the ones I trust to play it.'

I opened the front door excitedly as the mailman pulled away, and I ran to the mailbox excitedly. I quickly grabbed all of the mail in the mailbox, smiling at the Cornell red box it was in. My acquaintance had said it was also an early birthday gift, and that he had to send it early so everyone got it on the same day. I quickly jogged back into my house, and into my computer room. Mom was probably sleeping off her drinking from the night before, so I would have plenty of time to relax and play the game.

I quickly ripped open the box, pulling out a note written in bright yellow ink, reading through it carefully.

Dear Yoko,

This is the finalized version of Sburb, wrapped up and ready for you to play. Make sure you're fully dressed and ready to go when you play!

This package contains both discs needed to play the game.

Enjoy the game, Yoko. And happy early birthday.

P.S. I gave you a bit more than the others as a Birthday gift.

Sincerely,

FluorescentCaligraphy

I nodded once, reading the note once more to be sure I read it correctly. I made sure that my bow was in my strife specibus before going anywhere. My bow appeared in my hands, and my quiver was tied around my waist. I smiled down at the wooden bow fondly, pulling the string back with two fingers.

"Well hello there old friend." I said to the bow, rubbing the wood before making it go away.

Once my bow was gone, I walked into my computer room and set everything down around me. I set the client disc into the tray of my computer, as it was already on.

As Sburb downloaded, I logged onto PesterChum and looked through who was on. FluorescentCaligraphy was the only one on, and before I could click on his handle, he contacted me first.

-FluorescentCaligraphy [FC] Started pestering MelodicArcheress [MA] at 14:20 –

[FC]: Hey Yoko! How's the game?

[MA]: - -D- Hey man! The game's downloading right now.

[FC]: Oh cool. I'd better get going though. I've got the end of the world to prepare for! ;)

\- FluorescentCaligraphy [FC] stopped pestering MelodicArcheress [MA] at 14:23 –

I sighed, sweat dropping at Graphy's antics. He was always like this, never answering questions straight and never staying long enough for them to be asked properly.

I blinked as the light went off on my computer, a pop-up for Sburb coming up. I smiled and clicked on it, the screen for the game up and loading. Once it loaded another screen came up, letting me know that the game was ready to play, and I started it up.

Another screen came up, this time asking me to put in my information.

Name: Yoko Chibari

Age: 15

Birth date: May 30th, 1998

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Brown

Favorite color: Cornell Red

Height: 5'4"

Once I had typed in my information, I clicked the enter button, waiting for the information to be processed. Another screen came up, this time lined in Cornell red. It was a list of strife specibi, and I blinked at the sheer amount in the list, before reading the instructions at the top of the page.

Please pick your current strife specibi.

I scrolled through the list until I found BowKind, clicking on the option before clicking the enter button once more. Another set of directions came up, this time for my Fetch modus.

Please pick your Fetch Modus.

I nodded once, as it seemed straight forward enough. I scrolled through the options until I found my modus, the Sharpshooter Modus. In order to retrieve items, you had to shoot the card.

There was another pop up, asking for me to download a different version of PesterChum. I gladly obliged, inserting my preferred chum handle once it had opened up. I waited for Sburb to keep going, and thankfully it did. It came up with another pop-up, this time filled with information for myself.

Yoko, we have calculated all of your information and we are now ready for you to begin the game. This is quite real, Yoko.

You are, unfortunately the first player to begin, and, as such, will be the last to enter the medium. You will have plenty of time to contemplate your decisions for now. You will be provided with the chumhandles of your fellow players shortly.

Your title is the Mage of Time, you are a Derse Dreamer, and all things related to your text color will be Cornell red. Your symbol is the Skull you wear on your tank top. Your land is the Land of Key and Hill.

Please stand by for the game. Take this time to capchalogue everything that is needed, and update your strife specibi. You will have a small amount of time until the reckoning begins. Spend this time wisely.

I blinked once or twice, before scanning over the words again. I blanched when I realized that I hadn't put down the information of what I was wearing, or of what my symbol was at all. I went to click on Graphy's chum handle, only to realize that he had logged off. I frowned and decided to open a memo for

the members of my eventual team. Maybe this was just a big misunderstanding and the others could explain.

\- MelodicArcheress [MA] opened the memo –Team Red Needle – at 14:20 - -

[MA]: - -D- If anyone's on right now, please respond. No message has come up saying that anyone has but…. I'm kinda confused.

\- Futrure MelodicArcheress [FMA] responded to the memo –Team Red Needle – at 16:24 - -

[FMA]: - -D- This is not a fake version of Sburb.

[MA]: - -D- What?

[FMA]: - -D- The game is not a fake! It's a real, working version of Sburb, and you've started it, like Pandora opening that cursed box.

[MA]: - -D- What?!

[FMA]: - -D- Graphy wasn't lying. He was being serious when he said it was going to work. He's been going around universe hopping for a long time, introducing the game to universes and worlds that were supposed to be base worlds, where nothing supernatural or anything like Sburb existed. He just alters the game to fit each world.

[MA]: - -D- So essentially, he's been dooming worlds?! Why?!

[FMA]: - -D- I don't know, and I don't think I want to know. You'll understand later. Take some time to calm down and get ready. Capchalogue some items that will be helpful later on, and get ready to go. That's all the help I can give you.

\- - Future MelodicArcheress [FMA] ceased responding to the memo –Team Red Needle – at 16:30 - -

I growled in frustration and stood up, punching my hand through the wall next to me in anger, frustration and just plain fury. I pulled my hand back and took several deep breaths, calming myself down somewhat. It was almost too much to process, the information on Graphy that my apparent future self had given me. I was thrown kicking and screaming out of my thoughts when the beep of PesterChum went off.

I blinked and focused back on the computer, namely the memo that I had left open.

\- - CrossroadEngineer [CE] responded to the memo –Team Red Needle – at 14:30 - -

[CE]: Umm…..Hi, I guess?

[MA]: - -D- Hello. You're my client player then, I guess…..

[CE]: Uh….Yeah? I guess I'll have fun playing this game but, you know….. I'm not big on Homestuck. It seems like a fun fan game though.

[MA]: - -D-This isn't a fan game Crossroad. It's the real deal. Graphy has been telling the truth. This is actually a modified game of Sburb. We're going to cause the end of the world, and if you want to live you'll have to help.

[CE]: Uh…. What?

[MA]: - -D- *sighs* alright just hang on, I'll prove it to you. Let me download the server disc. You should do the same. My name's Yoko by the way. Yoko Chibari.

With a frown I reach out to grab the server player disc, and I set it in the tray, letting the game download further. There's no going back now anyway. I purposefully ignore the beeping of pesterchum, and wait for the game to download before I see an image of a girl with short spiky blonde hair sitting at her computer. She seems agitated, tapping away on her computer rapidly, her fingers flying across the keyboard. I smile and get ready to apply all of the necessary equipment, first off, the alchemizer, but I open up the memo and smile. Her neon green text is annoying, and I don't want to have to see it more than I must.

[MA]: - -D- Hey blondie, stop bothering me. I'm trying to apply your equipment for the process. I'm going to deploy everything in your living room, it's large enough.

With a smile, I deploy the alchemizer. There's a large crash in the girl's home, and she jumps in her seat, screaming. This is going to be fun.

* * *

Chapter Two

Six months, five days, and twenty five seconds.

That's how long I've been playing this damned game, and I'm going insane.

I met the others that are playing the game with me, the blonde haired girl from before, CrossroadEngineer, whose name is really Miranda Gerald. She's the nicest, and my client player. She's a Prospit Dreamer, her title is the Maid of Space, and her land is the Land of Cogs and Frogs. She's quite nice, and has a love of trains and machinery. I kind of expected it though, as she is always wearing light overalls with a neon green t-shirt underneath. She wears large black boots and always has some sort of tools with her. Miranda uses WrenchKind, and she has the Pocket fetch modus, which is kind of like a 'guess where your item is and you can have it' kind of modus. She types in Neon green. Her symbol is a wrench. She hails from the upper part of California, and lived with her aunt most of her life near a volcano and the frog temple. Yes, the frog temples were quite real. That's where we believed that Hussie had gotten the idea from. Prospit

There's Jack Collson, FlashstepKing, a boy with black hair and bright blue eyes. He always wears jeans and a neon purple T-shirt with a black jacket over it, and a pair of sneakers. He is the Prince of mind and his land is the Land of Steel and Mind. He loves role-playing and Homestuck, and he loves to run track. He uses KnifeKind, has the Backpack Fetch modus, and types in lavender purple. His symbol is an infinity sign, and he's pretty jumpy most of the time, but I guess that happens when you live in New York with your older sister most of your life. He's also Miranda's client player. Derse

The last of the players is Rick Anders, AthleticEnvy, a boy with large green eyes and blonde hair and pale skin. He usually wears jeans and a rust-red T-shirt with sneakers. He is the Bard of Life, his land is the Land of Flower and Light. He likes to play videogames like Black ops, and he likes drawing a lot. He's in several different sports, your typical popular guy. He apparently only took up drawing to impress girls and he just got better at it over time. He uses BatKind, and typically uses a metal baseball bat. He has the Backpack Fetch modus, and his symbol is a basketball, and he used to live over in North Dakota with his dad before the game began. He is Jacob's client player, and my server player. Prospit

We entered the medium with only a few problems, namely my mom coming downstairs half-asleep to get some coffee while I was fighting some imps. Thankfully she was pretty out of it and didn't notice. Then there was the problem of prototyping. Miranda knew that she wanted to prototype her grandpa's remains (which were buried in her backyard apparently) and she used a wrench. Jacob prototyped a Pegasus doll and a unicorn doll. It was pretty unmanly but they used to belong to his sister when she was a kid.

Unfortunately we ran into problems with my own prototyping I had my first prototyping done, as I had used a dead raven (knowing full well what I was doing) but then I couldn't decide what to prototype afterwards. Then my future self decided to come in, and send me a doomed timeline me. Of course I took it and prototyped it.

Then, Patrick decided to throw his pet bird, (a first guardian) into his kernel sprite, and his dead dream self, which was sent to him via my future self.

Now we have an almost impossible enemy to beat, and one of us has a dead dream self from the get-go. Oh, and I was also designated leader! How fun. (Note the sarcasm.) I'm also going on a withdrawal of anime, as I rarely have a moment to myself, and I'm constantly fighting imps, my mother left the house drunk, and all of our guardians are nowhere to be seen.

Needless to say I'm not exactly relaxed.

I sighed as I looked over the rolling hills of piano keys, the black-and-white pattern oddly soothing. I adjusted my goggle-glasses, which I had alchemized from a pair of Yoko goggles, and my own glasses so that I could see out of them perfectly. Then I alchemized those glasses with a laptop so I could see pesterchum and stuff.

I stood up and jumped off of the edge of my roof, uncapchaloguing my Rocket Board mid-fall and riding off on it. The roof of my house was far up enough so that I could reach the first gate. And I had. Several times in fact. I was just resting for a while at my home before going to go and head to my quest bed and go god tier.

I decided to fly around for a while and

* * *

AN: this next part is labelled "add in" so i guess this is added in later or something idk

* * *

My hands were shaking, something that was completely uncharacteristic for myself. My fingers flew messily over the keyboard as I logged into pesterchum, having to re-type my password and username over and over again before I could finally log on properly. I went to the friends list and waited for a moment, the time ticking away in my head as I waited for the username to pop back up. Once it did I felt a mixture of excitement and dread. I clicked on the name 'forgottenCurse' almost reluctantly, and quickly typed in my message.

ariosoArcher [AA] started pestering forgottenCurse [FC] at ?

[AA]: - -D- Good night, Sweet Prince.

ariosoArcher [AA] ceased pestering forgottenCurse [FC] at ?

I took a deep breath as the message 'forgottenCurse's computer has been destroyed'. I took in a deep breath that was laden with sobs as I looked through the viewport at the man with black hair just like mine, his eyes covered with shades as well. He was wearing a tuxedo that was adorned with dark green threads, an almost unconscious thought from his past self to adorn his preferred clothing with his god tier colors. I watch with almost horror as his eyes scan the screen, reading the message I've sent only to be taken off guard as a battalion of war droids burst through his room, destroying everything in sight. He puts up a hefty fight, put in the end his insides pain the walls of his own home.

I start to shake uncontrollably as the batallion of robots starts picking up his pieces and –


	18. Dream Saga - Homestuck

AN: what the fuck is this i dont

i dont even know the order nothing is numbered but this first part i found is called finis venatus i guess

im so ashamed of this ngl

* * *

Chapter One

I groaned as the tell-tale beeping of a message on Pesterchum went off, waking me from my slumber. I uncapchalogued my hands-free device, which was pretty much a scouter from Dragon Ball Z, and I attached it to the side of my head.

-GhostlyTrickster [GT] started pestering CrimsonDoom [CD] at [10:13]-

GT: hey ver are you still going to take us to that party

CD: No, I'm just going to invite you and all your friends over and then decide to go to the party alone at the last minute.

CD: Yes John, we're still going. I have to go and DJ there anyway, and I might as well have someone to talk to while I do so.

CD: I'm going back to bed.

-CrimsonDoom [CD] stopped pestering GhostlyTrickster [GT] at [10:16]-

I sigh and set the scouter on my bedside table, rolling over onto my side and pulling the covers over my face in an attempt to block out the sunlight that leaks through the curtains. I'm almost asleep when I hear 'So Scandalous' from Soul Eater go off beside me. I reach one hand out of the covers, grabbing for my iPhone with a frown. I pull the phone (and my hand) back under the covers, wondering who in their right mind would call me while they know I'm sleeping.

The contact name 'The Princely Type' is flashing on the screen and I smile a little, before answering.

"Hey man, what's up?" I ask, before yawning and sitting up and brushing the covers off of me.

"Nothing much." A somewhat deep voice answers on the other end, and I smile, chuckling. I grab my square, frameless shades from beside me, pushing them up on my face with a smile.

"Oh really?" I ask, smiling as I walk over to my closet to grab my clothing. I won't be going back to sleep anytime soon, now that I'm talking. "You're nervous about moving, aren't you?" I ask as I put him on speakerphone so I can change.

"Of course not. Striders don't get nervous." He says, and I can imagine him putting air quotes around the 'nervous' as he says it. I chuckle and pull my pajamas off, a pair of pajama pants with the Mugiwara Jolly Roger all over, and a shirt with my god tier symbol on it, a small flame.

"Oh of course they don't." I say in a high-and-mighty manner while I hold one finger in the air. "Especially not such a princely type such as you, Dirk." I say while my hand is in the air.

"Oh of course not. What sort of prince would I be if I allowed a simple thing such as moving to make me nervous?" Dirk says the word as if it's a scandal, which makes me giggle as I pull my Sangria colored jeans on, not skinny jeans, but fairly tight all the same.

"But of course, Dirk. T'would be such a scandal if something so little as moving all the way across the planet from the green Sector to the Red sector made you nervous." I say while rolling my eyes and pulling my fire brick red tank top over my head, mindful of the large wings on my back, several different shades of red and orange.

I can hear him chuckle on the other end and I smile, pulling my crimson hair out of my tank top.

"Why of course." He says simply, and I frown for a moment, grunting as I try to fit my wings through the holes I've made in my jacket. "What's wrong?" He asks and I let out a low growl as I can't get it on.

"I can't get my jacket on." I say with a sigh, holding the jacket in my arms with a frown. "And it's my favorite jacket too."

"Your wings get caught again?" He asks and I sigh, picking up the phone and switching the call to my scouter and placing said device on.

"Yeah, I can't seem to find any way to put my coat on without either trapping my wings, or not being able to put it on at all." I sigh, opening the door of my room and walking out into the hall with a grimace, only to shriek in surprise and grab my favorite sword, one that is exactly the same as Wadō Ichimonji.

"Ver?" Dirk's voice sounded worried as I gritted my teeth and fought back my opponent.

"It's fine, I have some business to take care of. Later player." I say while quickly tapping my scouter and capchaloguing it. Bro grinned from his vantage point across from me, smiling as he rushed me. I grunted as our blades clashed, him forcing me backwards.

This was going to be one long ass strife.

~X-X-X~

I groaned in pain as I lay slumped on the floor, various bruises and cuts littering my skin. My eyes were shut tight in pain and I was in too much pain to move. It has been nearly ten hours since Bro and I started strifing, eight since Bro left on a trip down to the blue sector for his job. It has been two hours since the robot version of my brother, DamienDroid, and I started sparring, and one hour since DamienDroid started malfunctioning and went haywire.

I felt another sharp kick to my ribcage, and I sobbed brokenly, trying to bring my arms up and curl into the fetal position to stop the assault. This did nothing though, and the assault continued. I managed to curl fire around my hands and blast DamienDroid backwards a little ways. This allowed me a little time to get onto my feet, and run towards the door, a new sword in hand.

I heard the slight whoosh of a katana slicing through the air, and I barely had time to block before DamienDroid's katana connected with my own with such force it knocked me backwards. Unfortunately for myself, the door was right behind me, and I was sent crashing through the wood and onto the front lawn.

As soon as I hit, I was knocked out immediately.

~X-X-X~

"Ver! Ver wake up!"

A voice? But…. Who's voice?

"Ver, come on! Open your eyes!"

Oh….That sounds like John's voice. I should probably do as he says.

I groaned in pain as I slowly peeled my eyes open, whimpering as light invaded them. There was a shaky inhale of breath from beside me, and I looked to my left to see John standing there, a look of relief on his face.

"J-John?" I tried to ask, but started coughing wetly, and I realized with numbness that I was coughing up blood.

"Shhhh…..it's okay Ver, just….we're going to get you inside, okay? Just…hang on." He said shakily, and I almost nodded, but decided not to, as my head was pounding. I felt someone pick me up gently, and I knew instinctively that it wasn't John. John had carried me when I was injured before, and he definitely wasn't this muscular.

I closed my eyes and nearly let myself fall back into unconsciousness, and I would have, if it hadn't been for the voice urging me to stay awake. Despite keeping my eyes open, I was still numb in a way, and I barely noticed that the person carrying me had set me down on a slab of stone.

Then I could hear John's voice again, and I could feel him gently shaking my shoulders.

"Ver you need to do the thing." He said, and I gave him a shaky thumbs up, before curling into a ball, a steady warmth spreading over my body. Then came the out-of-body experience.

I was staring down at my own body, broken and bloodied and mangled, curled up into a ball with flames spreading steadily over myself. I wouldn't suggest setting yourself on fire unless you are part phoenix because you merged with your sprite, which happened to be comprised of your dream self and a phoenix.

It hurts like hell when I burn up, and I'm glad for the out-of-body experiences, because I never feel the pain of burning to ash. Granted it happens almost every time, but there are times when it doesn't. I smiled grimly as the flames gently enveloped my body, and I clenched my fist, forcing the

flames to change from a gentle campfire, to a blazing inferno, turning my body to ash in a matter of seconds.

Then my out of body experience ended, and I was back in my body, all wounds healed and no marks.

There were hands helping me out of the fireplace, and I took the help gratefully. I leaned on the nearest person tiredly, and I barely noticed that I was in my god tier outfit.

"Ver, what happened?" John asked as the person next to me led me to the couch. My eyes were still closed and I uncapchalogued a spare pair of my shades, placing them on my face as I sat down.

"Everything was cool up until about an hour ago." I explained, pulling my legs up onto the coffee table. "Bro left for that gig over in the blue sector, Damon went to work for a bit, saying he'd be back at about eight thirty. I was just chilling and watching some Gurenn Lagann, when DamienDroid decided that he was going to spar with me. It was cool for the first half hour, but then he started malfunctioning all of the sudden. To be honest, I probably would have died if you hadn't shown up." I admitted.

"Ver….." John said, at a loss for words.

I opened my eyes to look at him and smiled, standing up and ruffling his hair. There were seven others in the room, and I smiled. "Just shut up Egderp and show your friends around. I'll be down in a few minutes." I said, walking out of the door with a smirk.

I walked down the hall and up the stairs, then down the hall that led to my room. I quickly grabbed some clothes and went to take a shower. I washed up as fast as possible, making sure to scrub all of the soot and ash off of my wings. Once I was out of the shower I got dressed in my usual outfit of a pair of Sangria jeans, a scarlet tank top and bright red converses.

I exited the bathroom with hurried footsteps, quickly going down and into the living room where I could hear the most noise. When I entered I sweat dropped, as several people (trolls and humans alike) were arguing with each other, and I felt a tick mark appear over my head when someone punched another in the face.

"That. is. Enough!" I shouted, effectively silencing the room. I took a deep breath, and walked over to the back door, opening it as wide as possible. "Everyone outside! Now!"

They complied with little complaint, and once everyone was outside, I made sure everyone was in a group, so that Damon could get a clear landing.

"Now, Damon's going to be here any minute with our ride." I said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "And if there is ANY fighting while we are in the ship, at the party, or even here, you will be sent home!" I shouted, crossing my arms.

A male troll with nubby horns looked like he was going to shout or something, but stopped when the sounds of my personal ship, Flare of Rage, landed in the middle of the large yard. I smiled as

Damon hopped out of the driver's side of the large metallic space-ship/plane looking vehicle. He smirked and tossed me the keys to my ship. He had totaled his own while learning to pilot it last week, and I had given my own ship to him to borrow for the day, but only as long as he had it on autopilot.

"C'mon Sis, she's all warmed up and ready for flight." Damon said, opening the side of the ship for everyone to pile in. My ship was about half the size of a school bus, but with the help of Damon, she was made using 'Bigger-on-the-inside' technology, meaning that we had alchemized it using a Tardis poster and a picture of a gummi ship from Kingdom Hearts.

I climbed into the pilot's seat eagerly, shutting off the auto-pilot mode with a smile. Once Damon gave the signal that everyone had piled in, I started old Flare up, gripping the steering mechanism tightly, and flicking on a pair of yellow shade-goggles (like Yoko's from Gurenn Lagann), numbers and letters darting across my vision as the glasses gave me the status of the ship.

* * *

Prologue

At first, I had thought the game I was playing was fun; everything was an adventure, I was allowed to fill my days in the game with action and killing things. I had thought I would go home afterwards, and that everything would be the same. God how wrong I was… I realized this when my brother was killed in front of me, as were all of my friends. Had I any idea what would take place before I played the game, would I have played it anyway? That is the question I'm constantly asking myself. 'If I had known, would I have still done it anyway? Would I still play the game?'

Sorry, that was pretty depressing, but I should introduce myself. My name is Vermiculus Tenebris, Fey of Heart. I live on a planet that is several hundred times larger than earth, where winners of Sburb (or Sgrub) go once they've completed the game. I live next to John Egbert, his father, and Jane Crocker, who all live together. John is one of my best friends! Okay, pretty much my only friend, but oh well. Jane and I bake all the time together, and talk when we get the chance.

I live on my own, but I make it work. Ah, right, sorry, I forgot to mention something. When a session scratches the disc in order to complete the game, if their guardians, (who now play the game in their stead) win, they come back to life, and live with them.

I think that's enough explaining for now, because all will be revealed once I tell my story. So sit back, and relax, and listen to my tale, of what has happened ever since I came to this strange new world…

* * *

Chapter 1: A new dawn.

It was a sunny day outside, you know, the kind that immediately wakes you up when all you want to do is sleep. I sighed, and felt around for my shades. Hopefully with them on, I could get back to sleep. Apparently, fate has it in for me and my well-needed rest. I groaned, as my computer went off, my new updated version of Pesterchum letting me know that John was bugging me. The new software for Pesterchum lets me set a type of ringtone for each person. I recorded John playing the piano for his ringtone. I love the song he plays, it's so cool, and he says that it's called 'Showtime, Piano refrain'. I pulled out my computer, and sat up, my crimson hair somewhat tangled from sleep.

\- ghostlyTrickster [GT] started pestering crimsonDoom [CD] -

[GT]: hey ver are we still on for that party

[CD]: ugh. Dude, you have no sense of time, do you? It's still like, six thirty! C'mon man. Let me friggin sleep. But yes, we are. Remember to bring your friends over to my house.

[GT]: haha sorry

[GT]: ill remember to bring my friends dont worry im excited for them to meet you though oh and a couple of them just moved in in the houses down the street

[CD]: cool man. Hang on, lemme switch to my headset, I'm gonna go get a or something, I'm pretty tired.

[CD]: kay, im back.

[GT]: are you coming to school today

[CD]: Nah. I usually don't go to school on Saturdays.

[GT]: oh wait its saturday

[CD]: yep, all day.

[GT]: did I sleep all through yesterday or something

[CD]: that you did John. That you did.

[GT]: i missed school?!

[CD]: yeah man, I went over to wake you up, but you just kept snoring away. Vriska stopped by too, asking where you were. I told her you were snoring away in your house.

[GT]: VRISKA STOPPED BY?!

[CD]: yeah, she left after that though, said something about dumping you…. No you idiot, she didn't stop by. She texted me on her cell, and I told her that you were asleep. She said to let you know that she'll be stopping by today.

[GT]: dont mess with me like that please you nearly gave me a heart attack

[CD]: sorry man. Oh, hey I gotta go, talk to you later.

-crimsonDoom [CD] stopped pestering ghostlyTrickster [GT] -

I sighed, and put my headset back into my repair modus sylladex. I grabbed a from the fridge, and a bag of Doritos. I went back into my room, and quickly ate. Afterwards, I took a nice, relaxing rest.

I groaned, as my cell phone went off, John's familiar ringtone blaring through the speakers of my iPhone. I fumbled with it for a moment, before answering. "John, what do you want?" I groaned, placing my square shades on my face.

"Heh, sorry to bother you Ver. I was wondering when you wanted me to come over…." He trailed off, and I looked at the time.

I sighed, and sat up. "Come on over when your friends get there, but if they're already here, come over in an hour, I need to get ready."

"Okay, I'll see you later!" he said cheerfully, hanging up.

I sighed, and sat up, running a hand through my crimson hair. I stood up, and walked out of my room and down the hallway into the kitchen. I grabbed a soda from the fridge, and guzzled it in five seconds. I rushed upstairs to my bathroom, tripping on random parts from robots on the way. Eventually I got to the shower and washed up. I stepped out, relieved to be clean, and brushed through my hair quickly, before pulling out my regular outfit.

I had my waist length crimson hair pulled into a ponytail, my bangs falling to my chin on either side, crimson clips with a skull and crossbones on each, holding the left side of my bangs back. I had my white tank top with the crimson Ouroboros on it, a jacket of the same color on that fell halfway down my torso. I had pulled on my crimson skinny jeans, a pair of red and white high tops on. I smiled as I looked at the mirror one last time before exiting the room. I started to walk down the steps, when a door caught my eye. It wasn't the door itself; it was the fact that it was slightly ajar. I tilted my head curiously, and looked out the window to see if someone had come inside, but there were no boats docked at the pier below, and there were no indications that anyone had arrived.

Oh, that's right, I forgot to mention; I live in a large house on a cliff overlooking the water. Well, more of an island really, but the main land continent, Sangria, one of the Red sections of the planet was nearby, but to reach my house you either had to come by boat, or fly if you were god tier. That's usually how John and Jane come over. I turned back around to the door that was slightly opened, untouched

until now. I could see the hand painted sign on the door, a child's handprints done in a scarlet paint, with an older male handprint done in a bright, florescent yellow color, and in big, swirling black letters was 'Bro's Room'. I took a deep breath, and looked to the side, where a similar door was, but instead the handprints were different. The small handprints were a florescent yellow color, and the large handprints were female, but scarlet in color, the black swirling letters read 'Damon's room, enter if you dare'. I shook my head, taking a deep breath, and entered the first room.

There was a fine layer of dust on everything, but everything seemed to be still in place. There were clothes on the floor, over his turntables, and on the bed. Books were on the bed, and robot arms and other parts were all around, a half built robot in the corner. I saw a tall figure in the corner, and I gasped, taking a step back, my eye wide with fear. Its back was to me, and it moved its head so that I could see its face from the side, but was covered in shadow, so the features weren't visible. Sharp canines shone against the dim light, and I shoved myself backwards, sprinting out of the room and down the steps. I tripped though, and landed at the bottom of the stairs curled up into a ball. I sobbed in fear and anguish, my eyes wide, as the figure came down the stairs. I screamed, and tried to run, but couldn't. Instead, I placed my hands over my ears, and shouted at the thing, meaningless words, anything to get it to go away. I had only been this scared once before, but I thought it was impossible. I thought it was dead!

Oh big brother… I'm sorry.

* * *

Chapter Two

I felt someone shaking me, shouting words at me, and I shouted back. To be honest, I had no idea what I was shouting; I just knew that I was. I kept my hands over my ears, my eyes shut tight. I could feel tears leaking out of the corners of my eyes, and I curled up into a ball even tighter than I was before. I was half-sobbing half-shouting curses and other obscenities, but all I could see behind my closed lids was my brother's face, blood splattered and….

"Ver! Stop it, you're fine!" a voice shouted, and I recognized it as John's. I stopped shouting, and opened my eyes, wide with terror. "Ver, it's okay, you're here, in Sangria, remember?" He asked slowly, along with more questions, calming me down. Slowly but surely I calmed down enough to the point where I was shaking, but sitting up, my legs up to my chest, my arms wrapped around my legs.

I took deep breaths, and when I was calmed down enough, I stood up slowly, aware of the blood streaming down my face. I blinked, and put a hand to my head, surprised. "Huh? When did I cut my head…?" I mumbled, confused. I shook my head, and slowly walked up the stairs, but not before looking back at John with a shaky smile. "Sorry, I'll be right back, I've…. gotta go change…." I said, walking up the steps to the bathroom.

I went to the medicine cabinet, and pulled out the medical supplies, cleaning up the shallow gash on my forehead. I pressed a button, and my wardrobifier changed my clothes for me, into an exact replica of the outfit I had been wearing; only the jacket had my symbol on the back. I shook my head to clear it, before walking out of the bathroom, only to walk right back in with the realization that I forgot to replace my red mascara. I quickly did so, and then walked out, and down the stairs, feeling much better.

I chuckled, mumbling to myself as I walked. "Note to self; don't go near bro's room again." I mumbled, sliding down on the railing the rest of the way on my skateboard, before flipping right at the end, my square, no-frame shades glinting in the light. I landed and grabbed my board, placing it under one arm as I went into the kitchen. I pulled open the fridge, and looked at what I had left. I gave a sigh, and slammed it shut. All I had was , and a single bottle of water. I checked the cupboard, only to find that it was in a similar situation, only with Doritos. I grabbed my wallet from the counter, and popped my head into the living room quickly, seeing John and his friends.

"Yo, John." I said, getting his attention as I stood there, pocketing my wallet and iPhone. He looked up, relieved.

"Ver! You're okay! I was hoping you were feeling better." He said, obviously relieved.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going down to the store though, I'm out of food. I'll be back whenever. Make yourself comfortable, show your friends around, but don't go in the basement, I have no idea what's down there, but I'm going to assume that another monster wandered in through the cave. You know which rooms are off-limits, I'm trusting you man." I said, nodding at him.

"Yeah okay. Hey, where's Damon?" He asked, and I shrugged.

"I dunno, he left to do something a while ago, I dunno where he went really." I said with a shrug, waving one last time before grabbing my keys and walking out the door, sprinting down the walkway at first, and then hopping on my aero-board, before it took off into the sky.

I smiled, and popped my headphones in, putting on Kiss me kill me by Mest, which was in my main playlist on my iPhone. I groaned, as Pesterchum went off, that baby bumblebee song playing, letting me know my hacker friend was trolling me. I rolled my eyes and smiled, pulling my headphones out and placing my headset/scouter on. Heh, anime all the way bro.

"Sup, Sol?" I asked, landing in the parking lot of Wal-Mart.

"When'th that party?" He asked plainly, and I rolled my eyes, grabbing a cart.

"Whenever you want to come over, I'm just at the store right now, John and his friends are over right now, and I think Jane is bringing her friends soon, if she hasn't arrived already." I said, grabbing cereal from the shelf.

"That'th cool. I'll be over in a little bit, AA and FF have two get here firtht, Tho I can get them over there." He said, the clacking of a keyboard letting me know that he was asking the two girls when they were coming over.

"Aight, I've gotta go man, I'm taking snacks back to the house." I said, before hanging up the phone, a quick 'later' was all that Sollux could get out. I placed all of the groceries I had gotten on the counter as the lady started to put them in bags. I quickly paid and got my groceries, leaving the store. On my way out, I was stopped by some jerks from my school.

"Hey Vermin, getting some snacks to fatten yourself up?" One of them asked, pushing me down and knocking the groceries from my hand. I growled but got up and picked my things up off of the ground. He pushed me again, and I sent a punch to his face. I pulled the sunglasses from my face and glared. The punch led to an all-out brawl, until it got so bad that the police came. They grabbed a hold of my arms, and I hastily shoved my sunglasses onto my face. Before I knew it I was in front of my home, and the cops knocked on the door.

John answered, and I smirked, breaking free of the cops' grips. I slammed the door on them and pulled a lever next to the door. Or, I would have, had John not grabbed my arm. I shrugged and threw the groceries into the kitchen. Literally. I started walking into the large repair room I have, before a hand on my arm stopped me, and I looked over to see one of my best friends, Karnha Fulvah, a yellow blooded troll with a Basilisk lusus and a love for explosives.

Okay, she's my moirail technically. I stuck my tongue out at her, and she growled. She slapped me upside the head, before grabbing me by my ear and pulling me towards the kitchen. She slammed me down into a stool, making me sit there. My moirail is really scary when she wants to be. As the people who were here walked in. It was Jane and her friends, and John and his, along with Sollux and the two girls he was bringing. I slowly started to move off of the stool to make a run for it, but when a

large pruning shear that extended far beyond what it should have, (a gift I had given her, it was in the shape of William T. Spears' death scythe) got in my way I sat back down, holding very still.

She came over to me after putting all the groceries away, and slammed a medical kit down on the counter. She ripped my jacket off, along with my shirt, which was covered in stab marks, revealing my Pinkie pie bra. I sweat dropped, and she took survey of my wounds. There were multiple stab wounds, which were already healing. She rolled her eyes and switched into her god tier outfit. She was the Nurse of Life, a class I respected very well, due to the fact that she was always healing me.

She started wrapping up my torso while she interrogated me. "Was it THEM again?" She asked, her voice smooth like silk, and her 'S' was slightly extended. I nodded, and she pulled my sunglasses off of my face, even though I tried to make sure that she didn't. She gasped, and I saw her anger rising. There was a large cut over my right eye, just under my eyebrow, and the eye itself was blackened by a bruise.

I grabbed her arm to restrain her as she pulled out a large grenade launcher, yet another gift I had given her for her wriggling day. She managed to break free of my grasp, and started running outside. I hastily grabbed my shades from the counter and pushed them on my face, snapping my fingers to signal my wardrobifier to change my outfit. It had changed my outfit into Miku Hatsune's, and I cursed loudly.

"No, that's wrong wardrobifier!" I shouted as it changed my outfit into a miniskirt and crop top that I used to use on my lesbian friend, the Djinn of Rage, Moriko Arashi. She was from Japan, and had always supplied me with all sorts of Otaku items over the years. After that, it changed into a pair of skinny jeans and a regular T-shirt with my insignia on it. I tackled Karnah, and held her on the ground just as we got to the docks. My crimson colored fairy wings fluttering behind me.

This was unique to the Fey class for humans, but not if you were a troll. My wings were shaped like a pixies wings, with small little wrench-and-bolt-like markings dotting it. I sighed and crossed my legs on my moirail's chest, as she kicked and screamed for revenge. I smacked her upside the head, and she instantly grew quiet.

"Bad Karnah." I said with a glare, my scarlet eyes narrowed dangerously. I growled and she did as well, before we started to grapple again, and eventually we managed to get back inside the house.

* * *

I was about to go back to my room, when I spotted a plate of cookies and a Tupperware container with lasagna in it. "Oh crap." I mumbled, remembering that I was going to take that to John so he could have it for lunch since Jane's at Roxy's house until tonight.

I sighed, and snapped my fingers, changing into my god tier outfit. I picked the dishes up, and opened the door to the backyard, where Karana was playing with her new grenade launcher. "Yo Kar!" I shouted to her, making her turn around.

"Yeah?" she called back, looking at me.

"I'm heading over to John's house to drop off some food! Come inside and listen for the door in case someone knocks!" I told her, and her head drooped in disappointment.

"Oh alright! Let me shut my grenade launcher off." She said, extending her 'A' like she always does.

She walked through the door, and went into the living room, flopping down on the couch. I sighed. "What am I to do with a moirail like you?" I asked sarcastically, rolling my eyes. I have somewhat of a Texan accent, but you can only tell if I'm mad, or flustered.

"Love and cherish me forever?" she asked, grinning up at me.

"Oh I suppose." I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm going now; but I'll be back in a little bit.

As I walked out the door, I heard her call back, "Can you pick up some milk please? We're out!"

"Fine!" I shouted back, shutting the door. I quickly crossed the lawn, and into John's, narrowly avoiding a stray dream bubble. Here in Sangria, (in the red section) dream bubbles pass through all the time. It's quite common to pass through one just walking down the street. I un-capchalouged my key-ring, and opened the front door. "John I stopped by to drop some stuff off!" I shouted, and waited for a reply.

All that answered me was silence. I tilted my head, and listened, but couldn't hear anything. "John? I know that you're home! I talked to you only ten minutes ago!" I shouted, but there was no answer. I climbed the steps, and turned down the hallway to the right. I knocked on the door of his room, and put my ear to the door. I couldn't hear anything, so I walked in the other direction; towards the room where his grand piano is. I couldn't hear music coming from there, but he might just be sitting there thinking.

I could hear whispers coming from inside now, so I quickly equipped my Snake Blade, which my brother made for me as tribute to my second favorite character from my first anime, Inuyasha. There was that one guy with the sword that extended out into a crapload of swords that were razor sharp. His name was Jakotsu, and he was my second favorite because he was always so cool, and he cross-dressed. My all-time favorite though, was Bankotsu, he was so cool. My brother had his sword made for me too,

same size and weight and everything! I got really strong so I could swing it around. I would always re-watch the band of seven episodes specifically because they were my favorite characters. Ah, memories.

Anyway, I got my sword ready, and I opened the door. "John?" I asked, but the only reply I got was a hammer to the face. "Ow! John what the heck!" I shouted, holding my nose and dropping my sword. I looked up at John, and realized that he was having another episode. He had been having these episodes for as long as I've known him. He has these flashbacks of his session, and flips out. He took it in stride back then apparently, but now that he's out of danger, well, he's had time to think about it.

"Get back!" he shouted, swinging his War hammer of Zillyhoo at me again.

I placed my sword on the ground, and slowly stepped forward, reaching out my hands. "John, it's over now, you're not in the game anymore, and you're here, on earth. You're in your home, here in Sangria, in the red section. You need to snap out of it." I said calmly, gently placing my hands on his shoulders and looking directly at him.

"I-It's over?" he asked in disbelief, lowering his hammer.

"Yes, it's over, remember? It's me, Ver from next door. You invited your friends over so they could meet me, and we could go to a party in the dream bubbles, remember?" I said, calmly taking his weapon and placing it on the ground.

"Ver?" he said in realization, calming down. "Wh-what happened?" he asked, looking confused.

"You had another episode. Calm down, why don't you play the piano?" I asked

He nodded, and scooted over to the right, so that there was space for someone else. He set his shaking hands on the keys, and looked up at me expectantly. I sighed, but smiled, and sat down next to him. I started playing a song similar to the one that he plays a lot, but with a deeper, and darker tone to it. He started playing the lighter tone to it, and it turned into a duet. The song turned into a movie in my head, first, the lighter side of my memories played through my head, all of the memories of my brother, who was really all I had growing up, and then my three friends, who I would talk to on private memos for hours on end, using a hands-free device whenever I couldn't type.

Then the darker side came, the memories of my friends in the last hour of the game, my brother, lying there, so still in a pool of crimson. Tears fell freely down my cheeks, and I was barely aware of John getting up, and giving me the piano. I could see everything that had happened, playing like a movie on fast forward in my head. I could hear the screams, a symphony of pain, echoing around me, rising, growing louder! The tears had stopped by now, my sadness escalating into some sort of madness. And then, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I snapped out of it, and looked up. John was standing there, smiling at me. "Hey Ver, I want you to meet a couple

* * *

this next part is called "within the shadows" idk man

* * *

Prologue

I've never fit in. Not in all of my monu-fucking-mental seven sweeps have I fit in. I could attribute this to my refusal to hemotype, instead typing in simple black text, or I could attribute it to my habit of suddenly yelling. Or it could be because I suddenly flip out and snap, attacking anything within range. It could because my lusus was another troll. It could be because I have a strange power, being able to control electricity, as well as produce it. Maybe it's because I'm a mutant, having an electric blue blood color. But I think that it's all of them put together, really.

The only ones who have ever known that I'm a mutant were my Lusus, my ancestor, and my Dancestor.

Anyway, I live on this planet that's a mock-alternia, run by three empresses, the Peixes. They're not bad actually, but the castes are still the same as they used to be. They don't demand that you show your blood color, but to get into a good hive stem you have to show your blood. They still don't take kindly to mutants, and because I was afraid when I arrived on the planet, I refused. My ancestor and Dancestor did as well.

They carted us off to a really crappy area, and we could only afford one small hive in a stem. A one-block hive with one recoopacoon, that I was forced to have by default, due to the nightmares that plagued my thinkpan. Eventually I ended up on my own, (due to reasons I prefer not to talk about) and then came the notice. The notice that I was to be culled Beforian style. Of course, I don't like being coddled, so I didn't look forward to it.

I just wish I knew what I was in for.

* * *

Chapter One

I pant as I rip the strong pieces of metal from my arms and legs, a hole in the middle of both of my hands from the metal constraints that were placed on me. It takes a very long time, much to the amusement of the on-lookers, but I finally manage to rip myself free of the large wooden pole that I have been attached to. I quickly rip off the goggle-things that sapped my powers when I use them.

The crowd hoots and hollers, some of them are booing or cursing, due to lost or won money. Yes, this is how we live in this shady city, any poor soul who is caught after curfew hours or simply for being a mutant blood like myself is sent to this large square. There, they are either tied or held back with metal against the wooden pole, and if they have any sort of powers, they have these goggles attached to their skulls, which syphons them. Then they are given two days and nights – out in the open, under the rays of the bright sun- to escape.

I am the newest victim.

As I fall to the ground, panting like a woof-beast, I can hear footsteps coming towards me, and then hands are on my shoulders, forcing me backwards into a kneeling position. There are hands all over me, holding me down as the Grand Blood of this small city comes over to me, a branding iron hot in his hands. I scream and thrash but it is no use.

He orders them to pull the back of my shirt up, and as they hold me down to the ground forcibly, he smirks, bringing the hot iron, the end the shape of his symbol, down onto me. Then there was intense pain, nothing like I have ever felt.

Everything goes black.

I gasp as I sit up, wildly looking around myself, which earns another gasp, this one of pain. My entire body aches as I look around the alley I am in. The memories come flooding back to me – my escape from the square and the branding. The hollers and screeching of trolls that have won bets on whether I would live or not, the angry cursing of those that have lost still echoing in my ears though the day has long since passed that I was branded. If I was pulled off of the street after curfew again while I lived here, I was to be culled on the spot. The payment of not listening to the rules.

I groan in pain as I slowly get up, leaning on the wall heavily. I must have been dumped in the nearest alleyway when I was freed, as the rays of the sun are just starting to peak over the horizon. I have been unconscious for far too long, and my punishment will be severe if I am caught. Perhaps even death.

Another thought enters my thinkpan as I limp and hobble my way through what is left of the shadows, melding myself in their dark embrace. I was to be culled Beforian style, the night before, perhaps even a few nights ago, depending on how long I had been unconscious for. But by the way that I

have no peirce markings made from rogue Rainbow Drinkers, I would say that I haven't been out for very long.

Had I been out for a few days and nights, I would have the tell-tale markings of bites on my neck or possibly even my open wounds. But I can still smell the after-smell of a party, meaning that I was only out for a few hours at most.

I slowly and painstakingly make my way back to the communal hive stem that I stay at, and, upon seeing several of the officials surrounding it, I decide to walk away. From this distance I cannot tell whether they are friendly enough, just here to bring me to my new hive far away from here, or if they are here to take me away again, this time for not reporting to my work at the factory where I supply the city with power. With a frown, I make my way down the street, towards another Hive stem where a fellow mutant blood lives, her sea-green blood that courses through her veins negating her status as a Sea-Dweller.

I notice that the door is locked when I get there, but thankfully it is opened using electricity. With a deep breath, my eyes flash once, crackling with electricity, running down my arm and into my open palm, pressed against the pad. Once a beep has sounded, the door slides open, and I enter quickly, pressing the button on the wall to close the door once more.

I wince and press one hand to my side, before pulling it back and looking at the electric blue blood that coats it with disgust and slight terror. I can hear Leevie's voice coming from the cookingblock, and I manage to make my way to there, leaning heavily on walls and falling once or twice in the process. I lean heavily in the doorframe and rap on it once or twice with a lop-sided weak smile on my face as the Sea-Dweller looks up at me, shock apparent on her features for a moment, before she rushes up to me, grabbing my shoulders roughly.

I hiss in pain as she grabs my shoulders, wincing and trying to curl up in on myself.

"Yvette!" She shouts, tears running down her cheeks. "You're okay!" Then she realizes that she's hurt me, and she winces, apologizing fiercely. I nod once to her, showing that I forgive her, and she helps me sit down at the table.

"How badly are you hurt?" She asks, grabbing the meager medical supplies that were kept under her sink.

"Pretty badly. Weren't you there?" I ask in a rasping voice, setting my head down on the wooden surface as my friend started bandaging my arms up.

"No, they wouldn't let me out of my hive." She answered simply, bandaging the worst of the wounds for me. "Speaking of hives, why did you come here instead of your own?"

I winced in pain, clenching my fist as she bandaged my side up.

"Sorry." She apologized, and I nodded once, biting my lip to stop from whimpering.

I took a deep, steadying breath as she handed me one of the spare shirts I kept in her hive, and slowly put it on. "I can't go back to my hive, there are officials everywhere, and I couldn't get anywhere near the opposite side of the street, let alone in the building itself." I answered, and I saw her nod. She led me to her couch, and made me lay down, placing a blanket over me.

"Here, you can stay here for now, sleep on the couch. You can go to the plant once curfew's over, and then go back to your hive after that." She said, walking away to go to her respiteblock.

I let my eyes close, not having to take very many deep breaths before falling asleep.

~X-X-X~

As the moon steadily rises in the sky, I make my way towards the plant, ready to work. Even though I have barely had a day to recover, I must still report in, lest the guards come after me once more, readying their various weapons to cull me. My steps are fast and quick, the sound resonating around the alleyway and through my thinkpan, the quick tmp-tmp like that of a cardio-vascular rhythm.

By the time I manage to get to the plant I am breathing in heavy, shallow pants. I quickly wipe the blue-tinted sweat from my forehead, and take a moment to collect myself. It is best that I show no weakness while entering the metal building.

My steps are quick and precise as I clock in, my fingerprint being scanned by a red laser. I frown as I make my way towards my station, the rust-blood that is currently fueling several different stations with his powers. I sigh and press the button that releases him, and he tumbles out of the machine, whimpering and holding his head.

I clamber into the machine, setting my legs in the seat and raising my arms over my head so that the tendrils of the machinery can wrap themselves around my arms. A helmet falls onto my head as the rust-blood hooks the machine up for me, clamping my legs into the chair and wrapping some of the tendrils around my waist.

He apologizes profusely as the machine whirs to life, making me cry out in agony as the machine literally forces me to use my powers, forcing the electricity out of me as I sit there. it's definitely going to be a long night.

~X-X-X~

"Uh…..who the fuck are you?" The Sea-Dweller before me asks, one eyebrow raised in curiousity.

"I am the Signless, I am here to take Yvette to her new hive. To you know where she could possibly be?" I ask politely, and the female troll before me looks me over once, before nodding.

She looks behind me at the group of trolls that I have brought along. The Leijons, Captors, and Maryams are all there, along with my descendant and other self, Karkat and Kankri.

She sighs and rolls her eyes, grabbing a coat that reaches her thighs and pulling it on.

"You just had to bring everyone, didn't you?" She sighs, before pushing past me and into the hallway. "C'mon then, my ancestor will be back soon and will be wondering where I am. I'll take you to where Yvette is. She should be almost done with work by now anyway." She answers, and I blink, before following her, Psiioniic at my side and the others behind me.

The girl leads the way to a large metal building, her strides quick and deliberate as her legs carry her towards her destination. She stops in front of the doors, her lips pressed in a tight line.

"Only four of you may enter the main factory, the others must stay behind in the waitingblock." She says as she opens the doors by using a hand scanner. The doors give a mechanical whir, taking a minute to open. Her fists clench at her sides, sea green blood dripping down from her palms.

"Yvette must be getting tired, then." She mumbles, striding through the doors and into the waiting area. The youngest of our group sit down and argue somewhat, and Dolorosa, Psiioniic, Disciple and myself all file walk behind the sea-dweller girl.

The sight before me is horrifying and makes bile rise in my throat. All around are trolls, young and old, screaming and shouting in agony as their powers are being sucked from them, fueling the factory and most likely the entire town as well. In the center of the machines is the largest by far, a tangle of wires and living tendrils, used to suck the power out of someone, and I see the slight flash in Psiioniics eyes as he takes it in.

It is reminiscent to the machine he was attached to for all those sweeps, and I fight the urge to set my hand on his shoulder in comfort.

In the machine is a girl, no more than seven sweeps old, her hair chin length and her horns enveloped by the helmet on that covers her skull. Electric blue tinted tears stream down her face as she calls out in agony, begging for mercy, the electricity that is the color of her blood pumps through the tendrils. The girl stops by the machine, her hand hovering over the button that would undoubtedly release the poor blue blood. She bites her lip and keeps walking, motioning for us to follow.

We are led into the office of the man who undoubtedly runs this 'Factory', an indigo blood with a horrible taste in suits, according to the Dolorosa. The girl then goes on to explain why we are here, and she is allowed to free our new charge from her machine, but only once her shift had ended, which was due in nearly three minutes.

The sea-Dweller nods, swallowing and walking away, motioning for us to follow. She then leads us back to the machine that held the electric blue blooded girl, and stand there, biting her lip as she waits for Yvette's shift to end.

~X-X-X~

Pure, unfiltered agony courses through me as the hours pass, and I know that I've been screaming, due to the way that my throat hurts, as it always does when I am 'working'. I can feel the electricity that normally would not hurt me burn like fire through my veins, and a mixture of sobs and screams are constantly torn from my throat as my powers are sapped from me. It seems like it will never end, but I know it will, just as it always does.

A voice in my head is screaming at me to rip my arms out of the machine, but I know that I cannot, for the tendrils hold my arms in place. Another is screeching to beg for mercy, which I do, several times in fact. I scream and beg for mercy until my voice gives out, the screams echoing along with the others that are with me, creating a symphony of agony all around.

I know that at any minute, the next one to take my shift will come and release me, and then I will have to send him to the same hell that I am experiencing, pleading and sobbing for her to forgive me because I am too weak to stand up against them. Because I know that I will not die, because I am god tier, because I know that they will torture me, and I will be powerless to stop it.

Though I want desperately to fall into the oblivion of unconsciousness, the pain keeps me awake and going, it keeps my eyes open and rips the screams from my mouth as I sob and beg for mercy, screaming it to the heavens.

Then, finally, sweet, sweet relief comes. The helmet is ripped from my skull and my arms are released as I flop onto the cool metal floor, curling in on myself while holding my head in my hands, my body still sparking slightly. I feel someone rubbing soothing circles on my back, calming my sobbing and another hand is wiping away my tears. As I start to calm down, the pounding of my head and body fade to a reminding throb, and I open my eyes to see the next person in line.

I can hear Leevie's voice from nearby, and I see her standing next to four adult trolls. The next one in line, a brown blooded troll with powers over flame is helping me up, and I manage to stand on shaky legs. I clutch his shoulder, apologies flying from my mouth at light speed as he sits down. He gives me a small, scared smile, and I can feel the tears running down my cheeks as he raises his arms up, the tendrils wrapping around his arms. I give him a small smile back as well as the helmet drops down, expanding so that his horns will fit. Then it shapes his face, sitting just on his nose. I buckle his legs and arms down, and give his arm a reassuring squeeze before slamming my hand down on the button make the machine work.

His breathing is coming in gasps, fast and panicked due to the terror of having to endure another session of this hell. I grab his hand and squeeze it one last time, right before flames erupt from his body, making him scream in agony at the burning sensation. I turn away, holding my slightly burnt hand, tears running down my face. Leevie gently wraps her arms around my shoulders, shooshing me gently as her arm stays placed around my shoulders. She leads me away, her far taller form having to bend down quite a bit to hug me.

She takes me away from the screaming and into the fresh night air, but I can still hear them. I can still hear the symphony of pain and agony echoing through my head, I can still feel the dull burn of

my power being pulled from me in my limbs. I can still taste the pain on my tongue- so intense that it fills my senses. I eagerly gulp down the night air, fresh and untainted by the faint coppery tang of the blood that sometimes pours from the others when they use their powers too much.

I fall to the ground and retch, and Leevie pulls my hair back out of my face, letting me do so. I can hear voices- but I don't care. My world is spinning violently and black clouds my vision. It's all I can do not to fall into the small pool of my own bile as I curl up into a ball, bringing my shaking hands up to my ears to stop the screams from echoing through my thinkpan.

Then, thankfully, my world goes dark.

* * *

Chapter Two

I groan as my eyelids open, and slowly sit up, my body protesting the action. I wince and curse under my breath, throwing the blanket over me off and sitting up. I was in Leevie's hive, that was for sure, I recognized the couch and the dark walls adorned with doodles from some of the local wrigglers that we often watched when we had time. I took deep, calming breaths and placed my head in my hands. This usually happened, I would pass out on my way back from the factory and Leevie would come and get me. She usually would take me back to my hive though.

"Hey Darlin~!" A soft lilting voice crooned and I groaned, not lifting my head from my hands. Great. Just what I need. A happy-go-lucky sea-dweller that is my moirail's ancestor. Great. Just great.

I can feel the couch shift as she sits next to me, and she places a hand on my back, her palm alone roughly the size of my own hand, fingers and all. She patted me on the back gently and I groaned, not moving.

She giggled and rubbed soothing circles on my back with two of her fingers, her nails gently scraping against the cloth of my shirt.

"C'mon Darlin! Let's get some food in ya before they come to pick ya up!" She said gently, making me rise to my feet against my will, and drug me to the cookingblock. She sat me down in one of the three chairs, and I let my head rest against the cool wood, seeking comfort from the pounding headache that was like knives repeatedly stabbing me in my thinkpan.

I heard Leevie chuckle in a strained way, and the chair across from me scrape against the tiled floor as she sat down. She gently patted my head, and I felt my eyes close, the soothing gesture comforting to me.

She continued to do this until her ancestor chirped cheerfully that food was ready. I lifted my head up, smiling sadly because I know this will most likely be the last meal that we will ever eat together if they stay in this city, which they probably will. This will be the last time we can talk, because it takes more energy than what you would have to use a husktop here, and so no way to Troll someone over trollian. The only way to keep in contact is to write letters, but there is never enough paper to write a simple letter.

Granted, this is because all who refuse to show their blood color or are exiled end up here.

I smile as the plate full of eggs and toasted bread is set in front of me, as well as a fork. I quickly dig in, as does Leevie. We all talk and eat for what seems like forever, before we grab a deck of cards and start playing different card games. They both groan when I suggest poker, but give me joking smiles as they do so.

Then there is a knock on the front door, and Leevie's ancestor gets up to see who it is. I look wildly at Leevie, and pull her into a tight hug, not wanting to leave.

"Please…." She begs, her voice shaking with sadness, "Don't leave! I can't lose you too! First Beitah, now you? I….I can't lose my moirail!" She sobs, and I hug her tightly, stroking her hair.

"H-hey now!" I say somewhat cheerfully, stroking her hair with one hand, holding her in my arms with the other. Which is sort of ridiculous due to the fact that she is at least a foot and a half taller

than me. "Sh-Shouldn't it be the other way around?" I ask while chuckling in a strained way. "Shouldn't I be a sobbing mess in YOUR arms?"

She laughs while sobbing, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her face into my neck. "Y-yeah, it should but obviously you're the stronger one!" She sobs, and I laugh in a strained tone.

"So…We'll always be friends, okay?" I ask, and she nods, knowing that this is the end of us as moirails. We obviously wouldn't be able to speak to each other, let alone calm the other down. This is the best way, so she can move on and find someone else. So I can move on as well.

"Y-Yeah. You have everything you need, right?" She asks in a concerned tone, straitening herself up to her full height.

"Yeah, I got everything from my hive a few days ago." I say, and she nods, before ruffling my hair.

"W-Well c'mon then, let's go and meet the trolls that are going to take care of you." She says, her bottom lip trembling as she does so. I take a deep steadying breath and she gently leads me towards the door, where an adult troll is standing.

He is quite a bit taller than me, but that is to be expected, due to my height – or lack thereof that is. He wears pants that come up to his chest, and a worn pair of boots. Around his shoulders is a cloak, held by a clasp with a sideways six and a nine. His hair is fluffy and his horns are nubby, like little baby carrots. I feel Leevie tense and squeeze her hand in reassurance.

"Hello." I say simply, and he nods at me, smiling.

"Hello, you must be Yvette." He says with a smile, and I nod once, fear pooling in the bottom of my stomach. I bit my lip to keep it from trembling, and nodded. "I am the Signless." He said gently, and I nodded once more mumbling a hello to him.

I turned around to Leevie, and she reached one trembling hand up to brush the scars along my temples, and smiled weakly. "At l-least you won't have to gain any more of these." She said in a small, trembling voice. I nodded once, and she pulled me into quick hug, and I fought the urge to shooshpap her and calm her down.

"H-hey, we'll see each other again, okay?" I asked, and she nodded, biting back tears. I hugged her one last time, and then her Ancestor, who seemed just as upset. I smiled weakly, and followed the Signless out into the hallway, my hands curled around the material of my midnight black long-sleeved shirt, my symbol done in white on the front, but only because it was the easiest thread to get while making the shirt. Well, other than black that is. My boots hid the very bottoms of my dark grey pants, which were tucked into the boots. I nearly brought my hand up to the jade necklace that hung around my neck, the single spiral with a line through it was my Lusus' symbol, and she had made this for me on my third wriggling day.

"Yvette, this is Karkat and Kankri, my descendant and alternate self." The Signless said, pointing at each of the two trolls that looked quite alike. One wore a red sweater and the other a black one with the same symbol as the Signless. I nodded and mumbled a greeting, doing the same for everyone as the Signless introduced them.

I stayed mostly silent as we made our way through the city, and at one point I had to force myself not to flinch as we passed by the Factory. I gulped and my hands tightened around the hem of my shirt as I walked past it. A couple of trolls stumbled out of it, and promptly fell to the ground, bile being expelled from their mouths or passing out on the ground. Moirails waited outside for their palemates, waiting to take them back to their hives.

I shook the thoughts away, as if the motion could force the sadness and pain away from me. I took a deep breath to steady myself as the ghost of pain washed over me. Then we passed through the town square. The wooden stake in the center still had traces of my blood on it, the metal did as well. I brushed my thumbs along the small – only now- healing holes in the center of my palms, perfectly aligned with each other.

"Hmm?" The youngest of the olive bloods, Nepeta, said. "What's that?" She asked while pointing to the pole. I bit my lip slightly, digging my nails into my bandaged palms.

"It's nothing good, I can tell you that." I said slowly, thinking over my words carefully.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Karkat asked, and I frowned.

"It's where trolls that are caught past curfew are given a chance at life." I said slowly as we walked, forcing my hands not to travel to my aching sides and fidget with the bandages there. "It's not fun, trust me." I finished, shaking my head to clear it.

I simply blocked any other attempts at conversation out, my eyes focused on the uneven stone, my ears on the Tmp-Tmp of my boots hitting the ground in an even rhythm. Though I made sure that I kept my senses aware of when others stopped and were near me. My thoughts whooshed around my head though, and I wondered briefly if I would be able to abscond once we were out of the city.

Highly unlikely, seeing as I would be found within a few days, especially if I could only move around at night, because my cloak was in tatters at the moment. Oh and there's the fact that my weapon is in shambles as well, due to the last fight I picked with a blue blood. Fucker had it coming.

I came to a halt when the Signless stopped in front of me. I looked up and found that we were already at the gates. The signless spoke for a moment with the guards, who seemed eager to get me out of the city, due to all of their lost boondollars from poker. Or the nights when everyone played strip poker at the pub. Ah, good times, good times.

"Erm….The gate is stuck…." One said, and I rolled my eyes, sighing. I quickly unwrapped my right hand and walked forward.

"Let me have a look." I sighed as I unwrapped my left hand as well.

"Gah!" He shouted, jumping back from me. "O-of course Yvette! Just…..Just let me go ahead and get out of your way!" He said and I saw the sweat beading up on his forehead.

I smirked and gave him a fanged grin, my eyes narrowing. "Oh? Afraid of something? I'm not going to steal all of your boondollars." I said, rolling my eyes at him as I got down onto the dusty ground, opening the small grate that held the mechanism for the gates.

The guard chuckled nervously, scuffing his boot on the ground. "I um….I would imagine not?" He said uncertainly, his knees shaking, which made me scoff. "I mean… we're not playing poker…" he said and I let out a short laugh.

"Yeah, by the way here's your clothing from last week's poker session." I said, uncapchaloguing said clothing, and setting it on the ground.

"Thank you!" He said, and I could practically hear the tears in his voice, which made me scoff and roll my eyes as I moved my right hand towards the engine, pumping electricity into it. "My moirail would kill me if she found out I bet my clothing again."

I stood up, licking my thumb and rubbing the dirt out of my palms while rolling my eyes once more. "Then stop betting your clothing." I said while sighing. "If your moirail is going to kill you for betting your clothing, then stop betting it! You know you suck at poker."

"I know, I know." He sighed, rubbing the back of his helmet. "I just can't help it! I love gambling so much!" He whined, and I rolled my eyes as I bandaged up my hands.

"I know you do. I see you in the poker circle every week when you get money." I said and he hung his head. I chuckled and stuck you my (now bandaged) right hand. "Give 'im hell for me, kay?" I asked and he nodded, smiling. I was friends with everyone in the poker circle to some extent, and this guard was no exception.

He smiled and patted my shoulder as the gates opened for all of us, smiling. I smiled back, my eyes meeting his. He nodded once, as did I. We shook hands once more, and I slipped at least a month's worth of food rations into his hand, payment for making sure my hive was cleaned out before the officials got to it.

He saluted me with two fingers as I walked away, winking once. I winked back, saluting him and nodding. With a smirk, I walked out of the gates of the city, basking in the feeling of not being confined within the gates for once, a privilege I had desperately missed. A smile settled on my lips as I inhaled the (only somewhat) cleaner air.

I opened my eyes and grinned at the sky. I have missed being free so much. Nothing could compare to this, right now. Except maybe a hot shower and a new pair of clothes for once, rather than altered clothing from others and the occasional hand-me down from someone in the hive stem.

"Are you coming, Yvette?" The Dolorosa asked, and I turned, nodding.

"Yeah, I'm coming." I said simply, walking forward with a smile on my face.

~X-X-X~

I sigh slowly as I enter my new respiteblock, running my hand over the wall as I stare up at the ceiling. It was by no means anything like what I used to have back on Alternia with my Lusus, but it's still far better than the small, cramped two-room hive that I had back in the city.

"It's…..It's so big…." I said while blinking, looking around. I spotted the recoupacoon and I walked over to it, running my hand over the smooth purple outside. It is medium in size, and I smile. I

can tell that the sopor is fresh as well, and I nearly let tears fall down my cheeks. It's been a long time since I've had fresh sopor in a recoupacoon.

I smile and start arranging my possessions to where I want them. I place all of my romcoms in one of the two bookshelves, the other halfway full of various novels, most are fantasy, a few romance, and only a couple are informational texts, one on clothing and sewing. I pull out my other pair of clothing, exactly the same as my normal clothing, and I hung it up in the closet. I placed my other pair of boots at the bottom, and I place my cloak and sewing supplies on the floor.

I leave it there, and I go back to arranging everything. It takes some time, but eventually I have all of my things set up around the room, my dark purple husktop is set out on the desk, and I have several different blankets around the top of my recoupacoon, in case I feel cold while trying to sleep. I sit down in front of my cloak, and decide to patch it up.

To keep myself entertained while I do this, I have my husktop playing one of my favorite romcoms while I sew up the tattered old cloak. To be honest, it would be better to just throw the old thing away, but I can't bring myself to do it, as it was a gift from my lusus. Really I only want the jade embroidery at the bottom, to remind me that in a way she's still with me.

I soon finish in my work, and smile brightly at the old cloak in front of me, a clasp with my symbol on it hanging on the side. I hang my cloak up and gather all of the thread and needles I have, placing them in the small wooden box and setting them on one of the shelves. I sit on the floor afterwards, and turn the romcom off, and log on to Trollian with a sigh.

None of the contacts that I have are online at the moment, except for one; DaytimeMiracles.

I blink and slowly move the mouse to the contact in purple, my hand hovering indecisively, and I bite my lip. It's been nearly a sweep since I've seen him in person, a whole three sweep since I spoke with him last. I sigh and shake my head, logging off of Trollian with a frown. Some things are better off left alone, after all.

I hear someone knock, and I call out a quick 'Enter!' while I open some of the old software on the computer with a frown. There are multiple 'Update now!'s and I press 'Update all' as the door opens.

"Yvette, Dolorosa wishes to know if you are done unpacking." Kanaya asks, and I look up, nodding. Porrim enters behind her and both of their eyes catch on the near empty closet. I sit up, brushing off my clothes as they look at each other.

"Yvette, Dear, would you mind if we took your measurements for some new clothing?" Porrim asks, and I shake my head.

"I should probably bathe first, though." I say in an embarrassed tone, my face flushing with electric blue.

* * *

I panted as I ran down the streets, staying within the darkest shadows, away from the lights. I darted into an alley way just as a troll darted past, dressed in the traditional 'cullers' uniform. They culled anyone that was out past curfew, or even just culled them if they felt like it. I clutched my side as bright electric blue blood spilled from the cuts on my side, and I quickly moved again, running into the alleyway, but tripping.

I let out a shaky breath, pulling myself up to the wall, wincing in pain. I stood up (using the wall as support) and then leaned against it heavily. I growled when a figure entered the alleyway, looking for something. Their skin glowed, as did their eyes, and I knew it was a rainbow drinker immediately. I hissed this time, instead of growling. If it was one of the rogue rainbow drinkers, then some hissing might convince it to leave me the fuck alone, as the rogue ones (the ones that lose their minds and go on killing sprees during the night and day) communicate in hissing.

I realized that it was NOT a rogue, just by the way that it moved, and how it didn't hiss. I took a step back, just as the figure stepped forward, and I realized it was a lady troll, her horns stretching up towards the sky, one bent at the tip.

"Stay back." I hissed angrily, getitng my metal staff from my strife specibus. I held the tip out defensively, both hands still on it. I felt dizzy, but I didn't let myself think on it, instead focusing on the troll in front of me. She took a step forward, and I rushed her, spinning around, the tip of the staff out. I didn't even think of letting electricity surge through my staff , I was so out of it. The metal of my staff connected with a sickle with a loud clang, and I gritted my teeth.

"Leave me be!" I shouted, swinging my staff at the new troll's feet, before we were in a full-out strife. My eyes were blurred from blood loss, and the other seemed to know this, taking advantage of my somewhat-blinded state, and suddenly rushed forward, forcing me to do a couple of back flips.

It didn't take very long before I hit the ground, the world dark.

I panted as I ran at full speed towards the alleyway next to the small hive complex where my lusus and I lived, my right hand clutching my side as bright blue blood spilled from it slowly. I soon arrived in the allyway, where my lusus lay, but there was one problem. There was another troll leaning over her, hand outstretched.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" I screeched, barreling into the figure, not taking notice of the others who were there. I leapt back, crouched on all fours in front of my lusus, guarding her. I snarled, my fangs bared. Most of my teeth were sharp, but my two main fangs were sharper and longer. My eyes were lit with a fire that I didn't know I had.

I backed up slowly, towards my lusus. I kept my eyes on the troll in front of me, her hair was short and cut near her face. She had jade blood, I could tell from the outfit she wore, the color displayed on the front. She looked quite older than me, but how old I couldn't know. I held one hand up, a dagger

in it that I had gotten from my old moirail as a gift long ago. I held one hand out to my lusus, and she slowly grabbed it, and I helped her up, letting her sling her arms around my shoulders.

"Are you okay, Verald?" I asked slowly, and I felt her nod into my shoulder.

"Yes, Yvette. I am fine." She said slowly, her voice raspy.

I nodded once, holding my dagger out in front of me with a somewhat shaky hand. The only reason my hand was shaking was from blood loss really. My electric blue blood dropping from the cut on my side slowly. I winced as I took a step back.

"If you know what's good for you, YOU'LL STAY AWAY FROM MY LUSUS!" I shouted suddenly, my sudden ranting and shouting acting up again. I coughed and I felt something drip down my chin, and I instantly knew it was my blood.

"You are hurt!" My lusus said slowly, looking at me. "How did you escape them?" She asked, referring to the subjugulators and the local authorities that culled anyone they thought worthy of. Earlier in the night they had shown up while we were mending old clothes, and had taken me. Verald had fought to get me away from them, but they just attacked her and left her in the alley.

I smirked, using one hand to keep her supported while I used the other to keep my knife pointed at the troll, still not seeing the others that surrounded me. "That would SPOIL THE FUN." I half-said half-shouted, my vision growing fuzzy. I groaned, and stumbled backwards a bit. I felt Verald start to regain her balance, and I pushed her behind me slowly, with one hand. I backed up until Verald was up against the wall, and I growled at the troll, before lunging forward.

"I WON'T LET YOU HURT MY LUSUS!" I shouted, rushing forward, dagger in hand. I felt others attack, and I screeched a war cry, attacking wildly. "I WILL NEVER LET YOU LAY A HAND ON HER!" I shouted, kicking and thrashing as they went to hold me down. I coughed again, and blood splattered the face of whoever was in front of me.

"We're not here to hurt you or your fucking lusus!" One of them said, and I stopped thrashing, confused.

"What?" I asked slowly, and I felt the grip that was holding me down loosen so that they could help me sit up.

"You were selected to be culled the beforian way, and we were chosen to take care of you two." One said, and I stared.

"O-Oh." I said numbly as my Lusus came over with the help of one of them, and placed an arm around my shoulders. "I…..apologize THEN I GUESS."

"I should apologize as well, and perhaps explain a bit for Yvette. She has no control over her shouting, and could start and stop at any time. I would also like to apologize for troubling you." Verald said, and I nodded once, placing my head on her shoulder, my eyes closing. I heard her tell me not to go to sleep, and someone shaking me, but I couldn't do anything. I was so tired, I couldn't manage to open my eyes.

I sobbed as I watched two of the trolls that had saved us wrap my wriggler in bandages. They placed her on a bed, so that she wouldn't get sopor slime in her wounds. How she had managed to survive this long had surprised them, but it didn't surprise me at all. Yvette is tough, and always has been.

As I sat next to her bed, brushing her shoulder length hair that was spiky and wild out of her face. I tucked it behind her ears with a sigh, looking her over. I had been taken into the respite block that we had shared to pack our things thankfully. I had made sure not to grab any of her regular outfits, or I would never get her to wear anything I made her. I had also grabbed what few precious things that we had left so that there wasn't as much in our sylladexes.

I looked at the outfit she had been wearing with slight contempt. Thankfully, it was beyond repair, so I would be able to throw it away. It was a black long-sleeved tunic and a pair of very dark grey pants with black boots. Her symbol was on the front in white; a crescent mark with a diagonal line through each end. I sighed and looked back at her, the jade pendant was still around her neck. The pendant was my symbol; a swirl with a line through it.

I remembered the day that she had been brought to me by another jade blood. I was only a sweep and half old, and she was only a wriggler, not even having pupated yet. The other jade blood had known that she wouldn't find a lusus, as she was a follower of Yvette's ancestor; The Renegade. The renegade had been a rebel, and had ranted about inequalites of alternia. I had raised Yvette for as long as I could remember, and my own Lusus had taken her in as well. I hold a strong sense of compassion and love towards Yvette; she is my wriggler, my joy.

I had nearly died trying to save her when THEY tried to take her, but I could not stop them. I had been hit over the head and dumped off in the alleyway next to our respiteblock. When the Dolorosa, as I now knew the troll woman who had wished to help me, had come I had just woken up to find that I was too weak to move. But then, Yvette had shown up, hiding in the shadows, her electric blue blood dripping from a wound on her side. I had not been able to tell her that the Dolorosa was only trying to help.

I sighed as a tear dripped from my eye, and I gently grabbed a metal file that I used on my horns. The started at the top of my forehead and spiraled on the sides of my head. Unfortunately though, this was different for Yvette. Her horns curled on the sides of her head in crescents, but as we had learned when I had let her horns grow out, they curled in towards her eyes when they got close enough, and would eventually gouge them out. So I had to gently file her horns while she slept, so that they simply curled above her ears and close to her head, the tips stopping at her temples. They had grown a little, and so I gently filed them back so that they stopped at her ears. If I didn't do this she would have her eyes gouged out by her own horns, or she would accidentally hurt herself.

I took her hand after that and filed her nails so that they were not as long. I sighed and wished that she would let me paint her nails every once and a while, but I knew she would not unless I held her down. I un-capchalogued a sweater I had knitted in her blood color, and held it so that she would have something to wear when she woke up. I smiled and sat there, my eyes heavy. 'Maybe….. Maybe a small nap wouldn't hurt.' I thought, just as the first rays of the sun came up, barely shown through the black curtains that were over the window.

I groaned, opening my eyes as I woke. I threw one arm over my eyes in an attempt to block out the moons rays, and I heard soft breathing next to my head. I moved my arm and turned my head to see Verald sleeping in a chair next to me. I slowly sat up so that I wouldn't disturb her, and slowly got up out of the bed I was in. Wait. Bed? My memories came rushing back, and I sighed, realizing that I was in someone's hive that I didn't even know. I looked at myself and realized that I was pretty much only wearing bandages and a pair of undergarments that covered my lower half. I sighed, realizing that I hadn't bothered to capchalogue any clothing, but instead of thinking on it, I simply pulled the snuggleplane back. I picked Verald up and placed her on the bed before pulling the snuggleplane over her.

I smiled gently and brushed her waist length hair from her face, and behind her ears. I blinked when I saw the sweater in her hands, and with a sigh, I pulled it from her grip. I studied it for a moment, and realized that it had been knit in my blood color, but there was embroidery around the hem and the edges of the sleeves. The embroidery was a pattern of leaves, and was done in jade embroidery. I smiled and slipped it on over my head, cursing under my breath when it got caught on my horns, and I had to fix it. I had to slowly pull it on after that, making sure that it didn't catch on my horns again. The sweater was pretty big, and it fell to my knees, and the sleeves went just past my hands.

I wore it with pride though; my mother had made this for me, and I would wear it, if only once. I looked around, and I found my regular clothes, the shirt beyond repair and the pants in a similar state, though I could still wear them. I knew that Verald would, without a doubt, kill me if she knew I went out like this, so I gently felt in her pocket for the small device she kept so that I could get into her sylladex. I looked through everything and found a pair of dark pants that were well made, and a new pair of boots. I slipped them on, and looked around for anything else that she had for me. I found my black cloak with my symbol printed in white on the back, and I slipped it over my shoulders, using a clasp with my symbol on it to keep it shut. I made sure that my necklace was over my cloak, and I looked myself over in the mirror quickly. I pulled a rag and a bowl of water out of my sylladex and used it to clean the remnants of blood from my face. I quickly grabbed some gray make up and used it to cover the scratches on my face, old habits die hard, and I didn't know who I could trust.

I looked myself over one last time before exiting the room we were in, and gently shut the door behind me. I couldn't tell where I was, so I just walked right, not caring where I ended up. After a while I came to a rumpusblock, where a troll with nubs-for-horns was sitting watching a redrom, while others either read or talked or played on their husktops. I gasped and hopped onto the couch, pulling my knees to my chest.

"WHAT THE-" Nubby mc-shouty started, but I shoved a hand into his face, shushing him.

"Shut the fuck up fuckass, this is the best part." I hissed, not looking away from the screen.

"YOU'RE A FUCKASS!" He shouted, and I turned to him with a look of pure anger.

"NO, YOU ARE YOU FUCKASS! DON'T MAKE ME SHOCK YOUR ASS!" I shouted back, pointing one finger in his face.

"JUST TRY IT FUCKASS!" He shouted, and I smirked as blue electricity craclked through my hair and along my right arm.

"Of course, since you asked so nicely." I said with a smirk, lunging at him with electricity coursing along my arm. I felt someone grab my shoulders, and I realized that it was Verald immediately, and I dropped the electricity, not wanting to hurt her.

"YVETTE RENEGADE CRESCE!" She shouted, and I groaned, hanging my head. Great…. Just great.

* * *

AN: IM CRYING THIS IS A CARDINAL SIN MY YOUNGER SELF COMITTED


	19. Tracing Footsteps (Old ver) - Naruto

A/N: So here's all of the old writing I had for Tracing Footsteps! So since I finished rewriting the prologue and first chapter of tracing footsteps (as of the time of posting this) I have decided to copy all of the chapters here, and delete the rest from the old fic. I will write in every chapter number in bold at the top for convenience.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 :**

So, I got p damn enveloped in Self-insert fics for Naruto. It started with Dreaming of Sunshine, continued with Catch Your Breath, Deja Vu no Jutsu, and others I've read lately. This happened after I started brain storming some ideas and had a half decent plot, but changed my mind because I wanted something a little more hands on/interesting than "kid of a missing nin during the war". That idea in itself was p interesting BUTTT i wanted something I could have a little more boundaries on, and already have some set personalities beforehand. Which is why I talked to my friend and we brainstormed and came up with this.

So, yeah here's this fic. After I get some of the initial manic writing out, I'll likely update around once a month.

* * *

I had spent a damn long chunk of my life on self-inserts.

Yes, even in my youngest memories (earliest is probably the better term here, but I don't really give a flying fuck at this point) I can clearly recall sitting in the bathtub and pretending to be part of other stories. I can recall Inkheart, Legend of Zelda, and various other movies or book or games that I loved, and I can remember pieces of story I'd enact in my room or in the bath.

I can recall taking the cane I was giving (I can't remember who it even belonged to originally, or who gave it to me) and playing swords with imaginary people. I can remember twirling and wrapping ribbons around my arms and pretending that I was part of another reality entirely. Super Smash Brothers - a fighter with wings who spent an eternity asleep. Zelda - keeper of the sages and elements, Inkheart - some sort of dancer.

I could go on and on about my various interests and inserts from childhood, but I'd probably bore you considering they were all mary sue-ish.

Then I got older, and the need for self inserts never really dissipated. In fact, it got stronger.

I would pretend to be in Naruto, Homestuck, Fire Emblem - the ride never really ended, to be perfectly honest. Every week was something new, something different, and I would rarely stick with one thing for long. The concepts would change, the powers, I would change everything up whenever I felt like it within the privacy of my own mind. It didn't really matter, after all - it was my own mind, and it wasn't like I was going to ever make anything in terms of showing it to others.

Mostly, the only time I ever wrote them out was when I would write it for friends in a group project, or for my own peace of mind as I wasn't in the best place. Mostly the inserts would turn out to be simple and full of contradictions, or there were several different rewrites of the same fic in my folders, all in various states of completion. I never really finished anything I did, see? I just kind of...played with what I wrote whenever I was back in the mood for that fic/fandom/whatever. Usually I would rewrite it when I came back, just making everything further from completion.

But see- that's not the point to all this.

Yeah, I know I went off on a tangent there for a bit, but I swear it's all related!

The point is, in every time I ever imagined a self-insert like, where I would be reborn (and I absolutely ADORED that concept - Dreaming of Sunshine had introduced me to it, and then I'd found so many other fics that were just as good or in some ways even better), I'd always thought a certain thing. Every time I'd been making up rebirth fics or other fics where I (the current, true blue version of myself) had fallen into that world - I was always relevant to the plot.

I'm sure a lot of you guys that are reading this have been in similar states, of course. It's nice to feel important for once, to feel loved and like you really do matter - something that comes rarely in real life. It's a lot easier to pretend you feel important when you're in the privacy of your own mind, building up a world that you love. It's easier that way, sometimes - pretending that you belong in another world, and that all of these things you're imagining has happened and there are people waiting for you.

That being said, whenever I'd imagined it, I'd always imagined I'd be stuck in a world I was really, truly invested in, like Homestuck, or something.

But, y'know, things don't always work out like you think they will.

My name, is Chen Lee, but, as all these stories tend to go, I wasn't always Chen Lee.

Who I was before...well, it doesn't really matter, does it? But, since you probably are all wondering because of "backstory" reasons or something - I was a nobody, a face in the crowd, one of the masses. I never really liked myself, but at the same time I also adored myself, which stuck me in a never ending cycle of love/hate that just didn't stop.

Either way, my old name and life hardly matter now, considering if you asked anyone who knew me, they'd tell you my name was Chen Lee. My brother would tell you I was born to Jiao Lee, wife of Boulder Lee, at a Shinobi Hospital in Konohagakure at nine forty-seven PM. I was born a month early (just as I was in my last life) at around five pounds and eight ounces. I was born on the 23rd of May, just like I had before. I also had a brother again, though this time older.

But, unlike in my last life, I was an orphan from five minutes after my birth.

 **Chapter 2**

 **AN:** Alrighty so these next few chapters are likely to go a little slow in terms of content - I'm not afraid to admit that I'm new to this. I've written fanfiction before but this is the first project I'm more committed to? This is also a new format for me, I've never really done a fic like this before either so... If you have any pointers I'd love to hear it! Any feedback is welcome if you have it!

Also: these first few chapters will be more choppy in terms of content - more like looking at a scrapbook than anything. Things will be like that until I hit the academy plot point, and it'll keep going from there.

* * *

I can't really recall the way I died.

I can remember the events leading up to it - walking home after stepping off of the bus on the last day of school, reading fanfiction at home, playing with my little brother. I can remember all of the events of the weeks leading up to my death, as hazy as they were, but they were _there_.

The week of my death is much, much hazier. In fact, I can't remember my death at all.

Sometimes I wonder if I ever really died at all. I have an overactive imagination, so what if I was in a coma, waiting to wake up? Was I just imagining all of the things prior to my birth?

I don't know.

But, I do know some things. I know I have memories of before, and I know that I can remember them.

I can remember small things - the feel of my laptop on my lap, the headache my headphones caused due to the pressure on my ears, the cool air of the house. I can remember my nose aching and my throat itching - allergies, as the summer had gotten really bad in terms of pollen, and not just for me either. I can remember feeling tired, and I can remember the heat outside.

Everything from that point on is missing.

But...

I can also remember the nothingness.

It was calm in that nothingness, and had I been in my right mind (which i wasn't) I would have questioned everything. All I knew, however, is that there was only the nothingness. It was calm, and peaceful, and it felt like I was home. A home I could, and almost did, spend eternity in.

Then, inexplicably, I could feel something again.

It was there, in that nothingness that I felt something for the first time in who could know how long.

As I floated there in the nothingness, long hair (longer than I was tall) floating like I was in water, a nebulae of gossamer slowly blinked to life in front of me. It was as though I could see for the first time, as I stared at the pale colors of that gossamer, slowly bleeding into whatever reality I was in. I remember tentatively touching one of them, and feeling a heartbeat echo faintly through it. I recoiled, panicked as I whipped my hand away from the cloth.

Upon further inspection, I realized that each piece of cloth had it's own heartbeat, like feeling the echoes of drums or the beat of a song. I remember looking at the cloth, and settling upon a pale blue one, before closing my eyes and resting my hand on wherever it did. I didn't want to be swayed by the colors, and so I settled it by sound and fate. The cloth I settled on had a soothing heartbeat (bm-bmp. bm-bmp) and I remember pressing it against my chest.

The sound was comforting and soft as the gossamer snaked around me, wrapping around my limbs and body. It felt as though I was turning into that one painting, the one that was like, Venus or something? Or was it Aphrodite? I can't remember - I was never really a huge art buff or anything.

Either way, the gossamer enveloped me, melding into my own skin like it had always belonged there. The colors became part of me and I of them, and there was nothing wrong, there was only me and the pale yellow cloth I could see against my skin. It streaked through my already pink skin tone, combining the two into something more orange. Like a sunset.

It was peaceful.

It was right.

And then everything went to shit.

* * *

As soon as the gossamer had settled around me, and seemed to get comfortable, it pulsed like a second heart. The feeling reverberated through me, and I opened my mouth to scream but couldn't.

Then it was as though I was slammed across a great distance.

I seemed to have only blinked when I relaized that I could think again, and it was the worst experience of my life.

Everything was pressing against me, pushing me and scraping into me, and my first instinct was to wiggle around. There was a _twist_ and a _yank_ and suddenly there was light everywhere, too bright, too much, and too..well, _everything_. It was like going through a calm sensory deprivation period and then suddenly being dropped into a war zone at noon. Everything was bright, and there was sound everywhere and it _hurt_.

I froze in panic, lungs burning as I did so, and all I could feel was pure fear.

Where am I, what's happening, who are these people around me?

As the questions burned in my mind, I suddenly felt something hit my back with force, and I inhaled deeply, before letting loose a _goddamn wail like a child_.

It was so out of character from everything I'd ever done that I began to actually, really cry.

I wailed because I had just been thrust into some strange situation, when I didn't remember anything other than the soft feeling around me and the darkness. The nothingness. Where were my friends? My family?

I was set in someone's arms as suddenly as I had been taken from my comforting home. The arms around me were ginormous, too large in fact, but it was like someone had put really strong glasses on my face, and it may as well have been true with how horrible my sight was. Of course, this was true for all newborns, though at the time I hadn't realized that's what I was.

I could hear voices all around me, but not what they were saying - the noise was too much for me, and what I was hearing wasn't English. Or Spanish, for that matter- in fact, nothing I could hear sounded like a Latin based language at all. There was so much going on around me, not even limited to the sound.

I could feel something all around me, foreign and pressing against me. The air was filled with it, like white noise that I could hear and feel around me. There was some of it coursing through me, like an extra set of veins or something. The giants around me were filled with that weird stuff, and I could feel it mingling around me, and I couldn't differentiate between it.

And then I heard it.

Bm-bmp. Bm-bmp.

It was the heartbeat.

I felt myself immediately calm down, as the familiar sound washed over me, as faint as it was. There was sound around me, and I tried to intently listen to it as a weak rocking took over my body, a soft swaying motion as the woman holding me pressed me against her. I almost couldn't hear it over the white noise around me, but there it was, beneath the humming energy. If I were to describe that energy or whatever it was that belonged to the one holding me, I would say a pale yellow, and it felt like warmth.

It felt like home.

Then that home feeling shifted, and the arms around me set me in another pair. There was cooing and the new person holding me grinned (teeth are easy to see). The energy now holding me was like this one but it felt...more energetic and earthy. Where the first energy was calm and subdued, this energy is boundless, like rolling fields.

The one now holding me is nice, and... it wouldn't be the worst to fall asleep. So I fell into sleep for the first time.

* * *

When I woke, that warm home feeling person was gone, and I was once again surrounded by people who I didn't know.

So I wailed, screaming and screaming my heart out.

I know, a seventeen year old, crying their eyes out over something that I normally would have just had a panic attack over, and found an excuse to find a bathroom? Pathetic huh?

But there were three things that explained this.

One: my body, upon closer inspection, was that of a newborn's, and as such I was still ruled by those instincts. Two: I was surrounded and filled with some sort of weird energy, and it was suffocating, itchy, and generally awful. Three: I had just been ripped from the safe place I'd known for however long, and had no idea where I was or what happened.

So all in all, a shitty experience.

That being said, I was completely uncomfortable.

Someone gently picked me up and began to rock me. I felt the arms around me and was grounded in the pressure of it. There was a wetness on my face and head, and the familiar energy of the second person from before was there.

With that content feeling, I was out like a light.

 **Chapter 3**

 **AN:** so this chapter is primarily exposition, the next will be leading into more events. Like I said before these chapters are deliberately choppy, but I do apologize for the roughness of them. I think what I'm mainly struggling with here is how much to put in each chapter and how to find the flow of everything. I don't want to make the chapters too content heavy, and I don't want to make them too light either. So, all in all its just a matter of finding my style I suppose.

Well! Either way here's the second chapter of the day. I felt like chapter 2 and 3 should be put together closely, which is why I held off on posting 2 until three was done.

* * *

In the years that followed my birth, I learned a lot of things pertaining to my new home.

For example, I learned that I was no longer in the world I had previously been raised in. All of my friends and family were either long dead (if this world was mine but much much further in time, that is), or they were simply waiting for me in some other dimension. I couldn't figure out which explanation I'd come up with was better, so I decided to wallow in self pity instead.

The hollow feeling of my depression was still there (and once again I wished for nothing other than for it to stop). So, still young and ruled by the whims of my new body, I cried. I wailed and made life hard for whoever was caring for me. Unless that someone was the warm home-like person who was full of energy. Then I would cry but hug him until I wore myself out. (Or, sometimes, I would just sit on his chest and pretend to sleep so I could indulge myself in that feeling of home.)

Subsequently I learned that crying wears you out much more than you'd think. I also learned that people tended to flit about me when I cried for too long, or not at all. Which all in all, was good to note because I could make sure people would care for me.

I also found out that I was in some sort of world that spoke Japanese. At first I though I was actually in Japan, but no, I wasn't. In fact, up until the point I kept hearing and seeing proof that I was in this world, I believed I was in my old world, waiting to go back home.

But then, seeing people walk up literal walls was a pretty fucking distinct indicator of where I was. Especially coupled with the fact that I was seeing more than enough Konohagakure propaganda to last a lifetime. (Or two.)

Oh yeah, and the big unmistakable mountain with faces on it.

Considering Mount Rushmore was nowhere near Japan, and it certainly didn't have people with forehead protectors, I was pretty damn sure the Naruto Universe was now my home.

I also learned that ninjas have extremely good hearing, considering my later attempts at escape were always caught. The Shinobi Orphanage Mistress was a crippled kunoichi who had excellent reaction time. Yeah, no funny business for me.

When I was much older, I learned that right after being born (every time I've thought of that I can't stop thinking about weird porn I've seen), my constant crying was worried over. Of course, my " _waking up in fits of coughing and hacking due to thinking I'm drowning"_ was another giveaway that something was wrong.

That one wasn't really my fault though - every time I wasn't paying attention, the natural chakra in the air would catch me off guard. It was in no way harmful to me, and I _knew_ that, but regardless it was still startling. So every time I spaced out and came to, or I woke up from a nap (which was often - babies sleep a lot) I thought I was dying.

Well, one visit to the hospital later, and I was diagnosed with "Chakra Hypersensitivity". And, as such, my brother and the Orphanage Lady were told I would never be a ninja because of it.

My brother, of course, was devastated.

After all, many children in the village dream of becoming a ninja, why would he escape that? He'd apparently had dreams of us becoming ninja together, like our parents. Doubtless it was because our parents had also fantasized it, but the fact remained that Lee had criee when he realized that his dream of Shinobi Siblings wasn't going to come true (he was only four, of course). The fact that my own chakra system was causing me pain was a killer blow to a shinobi career.

Only... that wasn't the issue.

The issue I had didn't lie with my body.

My body wasn't rejecting the chakra in it, it wasn't hurting me or killing me. In fact, the feeling of my chakra that was just below my skin, once I looked past the foreign nature of it, was amazing. The feeling of it was like being superhuman, like a new power coursing through me.

No, the problem was in my head.

The problem was the fact that the chakra was so foreign to me, so different, that it was startling. I couldn't stand it, it felt like I was losing myself.

Thus, I cried.

...and I may have thought I was sick, so I might have coughed a lot.

Either way, I was shaping up to be a nightmare to take care of.

 **Chapter 4:**

AN: Notes at the end of the chapter, this time. Please read for clarification

* * *

When I was around three, I finally regained control over my mind and was finally thrust out of the haziness of my early childhood.

Babies sleep a lot, of course, and so my own body required I sleep sixteen hours a day. That time slowly lessened as I grew, of course, but rarely was I awake for a full twelve hours. Plus, I was always mentally exhausted, and sleeping the day away was far easier than confronting my situation.

My earlier years of life, the ones I spent in the orphanage, were hard to recollect. I was in a haze filled state of misery and frustration. Babies don't have the skills to speak, or hold anything, or even sit up at first. It became increasingly easy to see why children throw tantrums.

But, the first time I began to fully recall anything was when I was three years old.

It was only a little while after we had moved into Lee's new Genin apartment, because apparently when you enter the academy, if you're an orphan you get your own apartment. This doesn't typically extend to siblings, but as I later found out, as the last two in the shinobi branch of the Lee Clan, we were entitled to stick together. We also had our apartment assigned to us near the civilian compound that housed most of our (civilian and) distant relatives.

It was one day while we were in the marketplace, that the event happened.

Lee had shaken me awake that morning, bundled me into some clothing he'd scrounged up, and slung me into the homemade baby sling he'd created. (Perfect for babies AND shuriken!) The indignity of the baby sling was grating on me, but I held tough. It wasn't like I could keep up with him, and it would be safer that way.

He was chattering away like normal, and I mostly tuned him out to focus on the world around me. The market place was full of energy, and it was almost too much to handle, but focusing on Lee's chakra made it easier for me to tune it out. Like focusing on one house while ignoring the whole neighborhood.

But it also made it easier to feel how nervous he was.

Simple emotions are easy to detect in chakra (well, the difference is easy, getting the emotion right isn't.) when someone is happy or excited or nervous, the chakra feels buzzy, whereas the chakra of someone sad is heavy.

And Lee's chakra was going nuts.

Nervous, sad, maybe confused?

Then, Lee stopped on the side of the road, and crouched down to look at me. He smiled in a strained way, and said something along the lines of 'stay'.

Everything fell into place.

Lee was going to leave me.

I immediately slapped my hand around his wrist as he went to stand up. He ignored it and said something involving the word "leave". I panicked, and latched onto his leg, tugging at his pants almost feverishly.

 _You motherfucker don't you dare leave me to starve._

I kept forgetting this wasn't the Rock Lee I knew. This was just a kid, and kids are selfish. Kids don't know any better, and this kid probably had a different childhood than in the canon I had known. I don't think he even really understood what he was doing.

He looked down, eyes tearing up like mine, and I spoke to him in one of my first coherent sentences

"No leave me."

He looked as if his heart broke, and when he picked me up into a bone crushing hug I didn't complain. Not like I had a right to, anyway.

* * *

Lee looked down at his baby sister, dressed up against the cold in a little pink jacket he'd found. Crouching down, he smiles and gets his sister's attention.

"Ah, Chen-chan, I nee to go for a bit! Stay here and be good, okay?" He pauses and chokes back any emotion. "I'll see you, okay?"

Lee stands, and moves to leave. He can't take care of his sister on his own, and the orphanage is too full - they won't let him leave her there. He'll be at the academy all day, and she won't be able to stay in the apartment.

He's only six - he can't do this on his own, so he'll come back for her later. He just can't right now.

But then, a little hand latches onto his leg.

He can't turn around, he can't. He know he shouldn't, he knows he can't do this, but he does anyway and he turns to look at his baby sister (she's only three years old) and all of his thoughts leave him. His baby sister, little Chen Lee, has tears in her eyes as she looks at him. Him, his sister's only family, his sister's only everything.

And he was going to leave her.

"No leave me." She cries again, tugging at his pants, eyes flicking about to scan his face.

The wind rushes out of his chest as he realizes what he's doing.

How could he ever leave a _baby_ in the world like this? And his own sister, no less? How could he ever have thought that it was a good idea? His parents would never have left him like that, he would never have left a friend like that.

And his sister was the only person he had left.

With that thought, he picks little Chen up and crushes her to his chest, tears welling up and spilling onto her hair. He begins apologizing profusely (it's not likely she really understands, but it makes him feel better), rocking his baby sister as he slips her back into the baby sling.

Groceries can wait for another day, he decides.

* * *

AN: Okay so, kind of a heavy chapter. An explanation of this is: Lee is a kid, and I've seen parents do worse when they were in a tough spot, so what he's doing (leaving Chen to find a new family, is what he thinks he's doing) is a lot more justified. Lee definitely would never do this later in life, but as a six year old who suddenly has to completely grow up, it'd be stressful.

Also: I didn't make this chapter to be like "LOOK AT CHEN'S DARK AND ANGSTY PAST LOVE HER", but rather, since these are Chen's memories, these first chapters are reflecting that. Important events that leave a heavy impression are more likely to stand out, and despite mentally being much older than three, she's in the end, still a three year old. She sleeps a lot, processes things differently, etc etc.

so in the end, this chapter is one of the bad memories she has as she grows, but she won't recall it all that much. She'll remember bits and pieces of it, but it's not a driving motivation for her or anything, other than wanting to stay close to lee.

Another quick, and important note that i got a PM about: Chen and Lee's name.

So the format of the names will remain [surname] [given name] for all characters who have both names, EXCEPT for the entirety of the Lee family. since Lee's name is in the format [given name] [surname] in canon (since it would be weird to call him Lee Rock) i'm going to keep their names that way. It will be brought up as an actual point later on, but I just wanted to give my final decision on the matter of keeping it that way.

Review responses will be in the next chapter.

 **Chapter 5**

AN: Reviews at the bottom of the chapter

* * *

The days after the market incident slipped by in a blissfully peaceful manner. Lee spent most of his time with me, though mostly the two of us just set the apartment up. A single futon, some pots and pans for cooking, some other basic necessities like food, clothing, and furniture. The furniture came with the apartment (not the futon though, so we bought a new one to share), so the basic couch was already broken in.

Subsequently, I found out Lee is a neat freak, and disinfecting the couches (and everything else in the house) was top priority. Bless my big brother and his inability to realize a normal three year old acts completely different than I do, considering the fact that he handed me chemical cleaners. He likely just wasn't around other small children than me, so he probably just didn't realize that handing a three year old hazardous chemicals wasn't a good idea due to that.

But still, what was he thinking?

I used to be a big sibling, and my little brother got into _everything_ and tried to eat it.

Natural selection is a bitch.

But either way, finding out that Lee was a neat freak was somewhat...startling, actually. Even at such a young age he was expressing certain.. _youthful_ qualities that he would later earn in life, it was just that they were on a smaller scale. Lee was incredibly hardworking, optimistic, and cheerful, but he was fairly easygoing, and cheerful, so he didn't often get frustrated. In fact, he never got frustrated with anyone but himself, it was always his fault that I got into something, always his fault that the kitchen knives fell off of the counter.

...and maybe those two things were linked to a single event, but either way he always blamed himself.

But, due to his hardworking qualities, the two of us (okay, mainly Lee) had gotten our apartment in manageable order within less than a week.

Sure, the air conditioning unit was tied to the window, and the window was strapped down with rope to a small hook in the floor, but it was serviceable. And sure, the entire apartment was battle-worn from other tenants, so the place was a little banged up. In fact, I'm pretty sure there were at the very least, three different stains of what looked to be ink, a couple different hooks and pieces of wire for traps, and one mysterious floorboard that was pulled up and had kunai shoved into the space beneath.

..I kept one of them despite having to hide it really well.

As in, I had to put that kunai into a fucking plant.

And that's another fun thing I learned - Lee absolutely adores plants? Who knew why, but nonetheless we had three different types of flowers growing on the windowsill. They were really pretty, actually, and Lee did really good upkeep with them.

The things I began to learn every day were surprising, and it reminded me that no matter how much of a "side character" that Lee had been, he was still a person. A real, living, breathing person who had interests and activities outside of what the show and manga had shown.

* * *

The spare time we had after fixing the apartment was mainly spent with Lee teaching me how to say different words. He would point out items in the house, rattle off their name, and then have me repeat it until it was somewhat smooth.

I was attention starved, and intellectually starved, so the affection he rained upon me every time I mentally connected a word, then spoke it aloud, was fantastic. Learning new words was intellectually stimulating, and thank god I had a knack for languages (even though I'd only been in the beginning stages of learning two languages). Reading was...reading was a lot harder than speaking the language, so I was glad that lee only knew hiragana (which were surprisingly easy).

But when I was left alone for short periods of time (Lee was home, but he would let me wander about), I had...other ways, of busying myself.

By that, I meant that chakra was really fucking cool.

Okay, so controlling that chakra is super not fun and is actually really hard to do, BUT, just being able to mess with it at all was pretty cool. The training I gave myself definitely wouldn't cut me out to be a shinobi in record time or anything, but if I was going to be a ninja I wanted to get a head start.

Though admittedly I was iffy about the whole ninja thing (unsure if that's what I even wanted to do), I definitely wanted to be able to control chakra. So, while I was nowhere near wall walking or tree climbing, it was satisfying to make my blanket stick to my hand.

Granted, I likely didn't have the reserves to do anything more than that. But, it was still impressive to me, especially when I realized I could use this trick to steal money. Of course, I wouldn't be stealing anytime soon, considering I had a guilty conscious over every mistake I made, but once I got over it when I was older?

Dolla dolla bills y'all.

...okay that wouldn't actually happen, but still!

* * *

I hated school.

In my previous life, I'd hated school with a passion. It was terrible, I couldn't stand most of the people there, and the only reason I went was for...my friends... Nope, nope not thinking about that.

Anyway, I couldn't stand school in the slightest, and the fact that Lee was getting genuinely excited for school, was..well it was cute, sure, but damn did I hate that he would learn how cruel kids could be.

And how cruel teachers could be, too.

But, in the end, I wasn't in any position to be able to tell Lee that he shouldn't love school, nor did I want to. I did want to warn him ahead of time, but in the end, there was no way I could warn him without giving myself away. It wasn't like I could just go "Lee I'm sorry to inform you that I've been living with you in an entire lie my whole life" and expect that to go over well.

Not only did my current vocabulary not allow me to tell him that, but I was also..afraid. Yeah, I was afraid of what would happen.

If I told Lee who I was, how I was reborn, etc etc, would I be taken to the Hokage? Who's to say that I wouldn't get there? Maybe Danzo and his ROOT would figure out I had future knowledge, and I'd be kidnapped. I'd seen that happen in a couple of fics, and I'd also seen it happen where a couple of self-inserts would just infiltrate ROOT.

But I knew, for a fact, that I was nowhere near skilled enough to function in that sort of setting. I would crumple under the pressure, or I'd likely fall into the mental conditioning that would go along with ROOT training. Sure, I was reincarnated, but I was still...well I was still mentally ill, and I wouldn't function.

Who's to say I would ever get over that kind of trauma?

In the end, saying anything was a big no-go, so I decided that keeping my mouth shut was better. Even though Lee going to school in the next coming term would mean I would have to go to daycare, as it seemed Lee wasn't quite that naive.

Well, who knows, maybe daycare would be fine for me?

* * *

AN: thanks to everyone who reviewed!

 **lizy2000** : Lee is three years older than Chen, and Chen is two years younger than the main cast!

 **DarkDust27** : I have a couple possible pairings in mind, but mostly I'm going to see what's popular and see if I think of anything else in relation! Chen is pansexual, so she doesn't really care about gender in relation to who she is involved in. This being said, I have a couple of crushes planned out (at least one being someone crushing on chen, and another for chen crushing on someone else!)

 **Chapter 6**

 **AN:** Yeah so this chapter is mostly exposition and pretty text heavy, next chapter will be daycare adventures, and that'll mostly be the focus until Chen get's to the Academy. Since in Japan schools start in the spring, and there wasn't really anything I could find on the wiki that said otherwise, that's when I'll start it too. Schools in Japan start in April, from what I found, so that's when academy students will start too.

Chen will technically be five when she starts the academy, since she'd turn six while there, I thought it'd be acceptable - like when someone is born in september so they go to school slightly younger than the rest of their friends.

Additional notes at the bottom, including review responses.

* * *

Maybe daycare won't be so bad.

I repeatedly told myself that sentence, over and over again as Lee stuffed me into a miniature version of his own outfit, and scraped my hair up into two twin buns. My hair wasn't quite long enough to put into Odango buns yet (which I really wanted because holy shit Sailor Moon hair) but Lee at least made it so I could have the simple buns. Speaking of Lee, he was practically walking on air as he skipped about the apartment we shared, packing a little messenger bag for himself, and a smaller one for me.

Actually it was kinda cute - he was doing this little skipping-hopping-thing as he flitted about the apartment. It was extremely cute, and it made me think of that 'I want to hold it, I want to protect it, I want to see it grow' meme. Yknow, the one that people plaster onto cute pictures of their favorite character, and it starts catching fire in the fandom until all you fucking see is a dash full of the meme, and like eighty percent is one post reblogged by thirty different people from the same person.

Either way, Lee was being stupidly adorable, which put me into a good mood.

Then, I started analyzing my relationship with Lee, and had to start helping him with getting everything ready because I was definitely not going to get into that today.

Not today brain, not today.

As I helped Lee clean up the dishes (he insisted that we clean the dishes as we made them dirty, not at the end of the day or anything), I began wondering about the daycare I would be staying in for the next couple years.

..Or months, depending on how much of a dick I was, if this daycare was shit.

Well, I mean, I'd been in a couple different daycares as a child in my previous life, that's what happens when you move around, or find a need for a new daycare due to budgeting reasons. The last daycare I'd been to was irritating overall, considering I was the oldest (I had been in second grade, going into third) and I wasn't even allowed to lock the fucking bathroom door. Which was superbly fucking stupid by the way - who the fuck doesn't let an eight year old lock the door long enough to piss?

My own anger aside, I decided to at least try to give the daycare a chance. After all, I had no idea what it was like - this daycare could be fantastic, for all I knew. In the end it wouldn't matter, since Lee was so excited to go to school that I couldn't not give in to him.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Lee quickly pushed me into the bathroom, to make sure I didn't have to go on the way to daycare. Lee would be carrying me most of the way, simply because it would be faster and I honestly didn't want to walk.

I quickly finished my business, and was in the process of washing my hands when I realized something, looking up at the blank space I had previously been accustomed to seeing a mirror in.

I had no idea what I looked like.

It hadn't occurred to me to look while I was at the orphanage, since I was too tired and out of it to do so, and we hadn't had a mirror in our apartment yet. The last tenant had broken it, and instead of paying for it (since they likely didn't have the money) they'd just cast a genjutsu every time the land lord came over to check the place.

Props to that guy, but it was irritating since I now didn't know what I looked like, since we hadn't gotten around to fixing the mirror yet.

Well, my appearance would be looked into later, but I at least knew my hair and eye color. (Black, and black, respectively.)

Lee, once again snapping me out of my thoughts, tugged my messenger bag over my head and tightening it to fit me. As soon as his own bag was on, we were off (he almost forgot to lock the door - good thing I knew how to say "lock"). Lee continued to vibrate through the entire walk, forcing me to try and keep up with him until he got sick of it and picked me up. Once I was on his shoulders, he took off like a rocket, and I was once again grateful for his endless enthusiasm and determination to be the best.

His excitement rubbed off on me, and I began to get nervous.

I doubted I would make friends that were equal to me while here, but would I find someone I liked there? Would I find someone who I wanted to protect, and viewed like a little sibling? (Undoubtedly I would have to refrain from being a helicopter parent/babysitter - I was too much of a mother to not feel that way.) Or would something worse happen?

Would I run into a canon character?

Of course, I'd already ran into Lee (there was no way I couldn't - he _was_ my brother after all), but would I find myself tangled even further into this world?

The thought that I could become further a part of this world scared me - I didn't want these people to look at me and expect things of me. I already had my arms full with Lee, he would undoubtedly have high expectations for his prodigal little sister who actually had seventeen years more experience than she let on. (Twenty years, when combining my previous and current ages.)

It scared me because that meant I couldn't run.

Why couldn't I have been born to a shitty farming family who would have loved me all on their own, and had no other expectations of their daughter (HAHA) except to marry a husband (HAHAHAHA) and have kids ( _HHAHAHAHAHA_ )? Why had I been born into the shinobi word, forced to play some part that I couldn't fulfill? I had no idea what the social view of being gay or non-binary was, I didn't even know if it was acceptable to not want kids.

All I had were half-baked theories from my old life, and the will of my own to go on.

If I could, I would strong-arm people into accepting me, just like I had in my previous life. But that posed problems in itself - would people I know accept me for that? Would they accept that I was ever-changing and always me?

Then it hit me.

I could literally fucking do what I wanted.

The thought almost made me laugh as Lee and I passed through the food district, Lee nabbing me a snack on the way to daycare (he knows me too well, that boy). I gingerly ate the chocolate covered banana, careful not to spill it on Na- on Lee. (Bad brain - BAD don't associate him with people you knew.)

(Oh _fuck_ no do _not_ cry god DAMN IT - come on you've got this and...oh okay, okay all good, all good.)

Good thing Lee had placed me on his shoulders, because that way he didn't see the full range of emotions I had going on.

Shit, what had I been contemplating before a minor mental breakdown that I hid? (Conceal, don't feel, don't let them knowwwww.)

Oh right, my gay ass learning to make people accept me.

If I just was outright with it - told Lee I didn't really feel like a girl /or/ a boy, then he would likely just accept it and move on. I couldn't ask him to call me by the name I had in my last life, considering it wasn't an actual name here, and the 'L' in it wouldn't work with the language. it would turn into an r sound, and the x would turn into an ekksu type sound, and it would just be an overall pain. Plus if I went by Natsu (my weeb name, back from freshman year) it wouldn't make sense, since I was born in the spring.

Eh, I would just figure it out later, when I was older.

The whole 'I like girls more than guys' thing was child's play in comparison - I would just outright say it, since I was aware of it. Then if anyone had issues I would just tell them to fuck of Gladys I haven't been through three different marriages so kindly take your opinions elsewhere. If I was just open about it, it would be easier for me in the long run.

Lee came to a halt in front of the academy, and set me down to stand in front of him. Oh good, he took my request to heart - I hadn't wanted to let him go to the academy alone on his first day, so I'd asked to come with him. Granted I would only be staying for the ceremony at the beginning, and then Lee would take me over a block to go to daycare, but still. I wanted to be there for him - it was like sending my little brother off to..school...

Fuck okay now I'm really crying.

Lee looked down at me, startled as we waited for the ceremony to begin, and he quickly kneeled down to come down to eye level with me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and I hugged him.

"Sorry, sorry." I sobbed, hugging him.

"Are you nervous, Chen-chan?" Lee asked, an epiphany coming over him.

Without any other excuse, I nodded, wiping my eyes as I tried to compose myself. (Which was startlingly hard.)

"Well, everything will be okay!" He said while smiling radiantly at me, then he hugged me. I sniffed and wiped my eyes - I could cry at home, and Lee needed me to be alright right now.

Once I pulled myself together, I busied myself by looking around the clearing. Lee and I were tucked close to the entrance to the courtyard, Lee's back pressed against the wall as he had his hands on my shoulders as I stood in front of him. I could feel myself spacing out, but I tried to keep myself focused.

I could see a few kids loitering around with their parents, a couple kids who were talking over in the corner without parents, and there were some kids heading into the building itself. They looked like older kids, so I assumed they were upper classmen who were running late, judging by their hurried fast walking. Run bitch, run.

I began to grow extremely bored as I stood there - Lee was clenching his hands into the fabric of my shirt, hands bunched up at my shoulders. He was never good about sitting still, and being nervous was just reinforcing his "gotta move" instincts. Which wasn't bad to have, actually, when I thought about it. Considering he would one day be a taijutsu specialist, that constant movement would help him with evasion.

As I was thinking, the Hokage showed up, and I hadn't noticed until I heard him start his speech. It startled me a bit, and I jumped slightly before whipping my head up. Oh, whoops. At least I didn't have to listen to the speech itself - I could barely understand half of the words he was saying, after all. So instead I focused on tuning him out, and decided to work on my own head.

* * *

A fun thing about being reincarnated, is that sometimes (at least in my case) you get access to a completely different place in your head. In my case, I had an extra space in my head like a mind-scape. It was comforting, although once I stepped into my mind-scape, I was almost immediately removed from reality. Sometimes, if I wasn't careful, I'd stop breathing or I'd pass out, so I had to be careful while in there, and make sure to keep breathing.

As long as I breathed while in my mind-scape, I would breathe outside of it, though that didn't correlate to anything else. So if I moved in my mindscape, I didn't move in reality, or if I glared in my mindscape, or talked, I didn't in reality. I only found this out because of Lee - he kept asking me why I looked so weird. When I asked him what he meant (what mean?) he told me I looked asleep in reality. But the only exception to this was Chakra - if I filtered Chakra into certain places in my mindscape, they filtered through my body (easy to find out, because I almost passed out from chakra exhaustion).

Either way, my mind-scape was pretty blank.

Apparently it didn't come pre-prepared, so while it had a simple landscape initially, I had to create anything else within there.

It was pretty tempting, but I wouldn't be doing any mind-scape altering at the moment. I just wanted to check on a little...pet project, I suppose you could call it. It wasn't like I had the time to do any landscaping anyway, but I could focus on something already made with the time I had.

In my mindscape, I floated over the rolling fields of grass, before picking up speed and darting over to the large tree in the distance. I could only imagine it looking like the Great Deku Tree from Ocarina of Time, since when I thought "a big ass tree" that was all I could associate it with. I darted about the tree, until I found what I was looking for - the small baby tucked into a hole in the tree.

The baby was small, and pale, and floating in the small bedroom-area I'd made for her. A nebula of gossamer (the same as my own, though the colors alternated and flowed differently than mine, their own heartbeat) surrounded her, and I smiled, nodding. She would be fine on her own for the rest of the day, but tonight I would have to expand her room, or move her because she was still growing. I hummed and slowly filtered a little bit of chakra into her, before someone poked me in my real shoulder.

I quickly (but careful) came out of my mindscape to find Lee excitedly grinning at me.

Oh right.

I lifted my arms up, and he set me on his shoulders before darting out of the courtyard, presumably towards my daycare.

I was once again thrown off by nervousness, and I bit my lip as he ran me about a block away. I reassured myself that these were all /kids/, kids who were /three/. I'll be fine, they can't do anything to hurt me, and if there isn't anyone there I like, I can just leave or I can find something else to do. I would be fine, I reassured myself.

And then we got there.

The daycare, while it wasn't in shambles or anything, was still not exactly in the best shape. Presumably from the children inside, considering as we walked up there was a child's arm clear through a wall, and I could feel the chakra still sparking out of it. The arm retreated, and I heard a loud "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING YOU LITTLE SHIT".

...what.

* * *

AN: So like I said, a bit text heavy/exposition chapter, since for me personally i tend to get lost in my own head, so this carries over to Chen. Thus why things are moving to fast but also too slow in this chapter.

The next few chapters won't be so heavy in exposition. also no, i won't tell you what the whole baby thing is about right now - you'll find out in later chapters.

Reviews:

 **lizy2000** : Yep, I figured it couldn't hurt to give a quick clarification lol! And you'll have to wait and see if that happens, since I can't tell you lol

 **DarkDust27** : Thanks for the suggestions! I'm actually taking a little bit of it into consideration, mainly just in terms of who Chen will crush on, however. And no, she won't get the curse mark instead of sasuke, but there will be some big events involving her that involve a tracking mission! I do like the idea of what you suggested though! it sounded interesting - maybe you should write something with that premise?

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, even if I don't have a response to it!

 **Chapter 7**

I FUCKING HATE DAYCARE.

Okay, sure, I could deal with a normal daycare, one with normal kids and shit. But no, no I had to get enrolled at a fucking _ninja daycare_. God damnit Lee you are really not being subtle about wanting me to be a ninja.

I walked into the daycare alone, and as soon as I was through the front door I caught sight of a very pissed looking kunoichi who had a kid stuck in a bundle of rope, hanging from the ceiling. I blanked, because _holy shit_ that was _hot_ , but then I realized I was three (okay actually like twenty), and this girl was probably like thirteen or something. The age difference was really bad, and when I realized that I cooled down.

I did want to be this girl's friend though.

The kunoichi blinked, and smiled at me.

"Hey there!" She smiled, crouching down to look at me. "Where are your parents?"

Lee, of course, had left me as soon as I'd gone inside, as he'd been afraid to be late. So I was left alone, and I could barely speak.

Fuck.

"Nii-san went to academy." I said in broken Japanese, eyebrows scrunched together.

"Oh! Alright, what's your name?" She asked, still smiling softly.

"Chen Lee!" I said with a smile - this girl was really nice.

"Chen-chan, huh?" She asked, before nodding and looking over at the cubbies, where there were shoes inside.

"I'm Aiko - call me Aiko-san, or Aiko-chan." She smiled, while motioning me over and helping me take my shoes off. "Shoes off in the house, but go and play!"

Aiko immediately pushed me off to go play, dealing with the kid hanging from the ceiling, who I realized was another Genin, considering the hitai-ate on his forehead. I grinned a shit-eating grin at him, since he obviously wasn't in charge of Aiko, and if Aiko was on his team, she was quite obviously wearing the pants in this relationship. Thus, since I was a cute and also small child, if Aiko was on my side, I could do damn near whatever I wanted. (Theoretically, that is.)

All of my thoughts went down the drain as I went to go into the main room, which was behind the pair of genin. In the main room, there was another genin who was tied up, and a bunch of children were messing with him. There was a couple of kids who were playing with his headband, and another couple who were dancing on top of him, and there was one kid who was poking him in the face. I immediately decided I didn't like this, and so I moved away, down the hallway.

At the end of the hallway were a couple of different rooms that were open - one that looked like a library, filled with picture books and some comfy cushions and chairs (and a kotatsu). There was a bathroom, and there was a room filled with toys.

The toy room had other kids in it (I really didn't want to go play with them), and I wasn't about to hang around in the bathroom, so I holed myself up in the library. It wasn't like I could read anything in the room other than picture books, so I sat down in the corner, hidden behind the bookcase, and got comfy.

The question was if I was going to focus on writing, or if I was going to pretend to be, or actually fall asleep.

If I focused on writing, I could work on my handwriting and write down some stories i remembered, or write down some songs, something to keep my mind busy and focus on retaining my primary language. The downside to that, was I would have to be careful about hiding the book, and if I focused on English too much, I likely wouldn't retain Japanese as well.

If I decided to go into my mindscape, I could focus on my project, and the language problem wouldn't be so much of an issue. The downside to this, is that I might freak someone out by hiding behind the bookcase and looking almost dead. I would also have the issue of sleeping too much, and I might get lethargic.

In the end focusing on writing was the better use of my time, and so I pulled out the empty book I'd pilfered from Lee's school supplies. He hadn't checked my bag over other than to check that I'd had everything, so hiding the book wasn't hard. If he'd found it, he hadn't questioned it, nor the pencils I'd borrowed.

Pulling out a pencil and my book, I began thinking. What songs could I remember?

Time flew by as I wrote - various snippets of stories I could remember, parts of songs, all written in various sized English letters. It was like looking at a Picasso painting with letters rather than shapes.

I'd just gotten through the last line of the lyrics of Everything Stays when I realized no one had come looking for me, which made me wonder just how long I'd been hiding. I yawned, and rubbed at my eyes - it was probably almost noon, and I was hungry. I yawned and packed up my bag (only leaving out my bento), before crawling out of my hiding space. I didn't know the rules about eating in the library, but there was the kotatsu, so I figured if I was careful it would be alright.

The only issue was that I was all of three feet tall, and I couldn't reach the table properly. It was an easy fix, of course - pile up some cushions and you're perfect. Once my tower of pillows and cushions was complete, I sat down and opened my bento. I wasn't quite proficient with chopsticks yet, and thankfully Lee had built my bento in response to that.

My bento didn't have much in it, but Lee knew I didn't eat a bunch, so he'd just packed it with easily-eaten items. There were onigiri (plain rice, thankfully), and there was fruit, which was arranged into a variety of shapes that I assumed were supposed to look like something. Unfortunately, Lee was still a beginner cook, so it wasn't pretty, but at least it tasted good.

Lunch and the discovery of my hiding spot were the only highlights to may day, unfortunately.

Nobody really came to check on me, so I spent the day in the library (other than when I had to use the bathroom, of course). My nap was spent under the kotatsu, with cushions spread underneath for comfort, and my own personal blanket wrapped around me. When I woke up, I cleaned up the room from my nap. Aiko walked into the room as I was putting the cushions back around the kotatsu, and piled the pillows up at the side of the room.

I liked cleaning, it gave me something to do, and I could clean up for people without hesitation. I could clean up for myself too, but when it came to my room? No, my half of the room was handled by Lee, who cleaned it for me. Otherwise, just like in my last life, that half of the room would have been a disaster.

Aiko almost looked stunned when she walked in to see the room cleaner than it had originally been, actually.

"Ah, Chen-chan?" She asked as I put my blanket back into my bag. "What are you doing?"

"I clean up," I told her, gesturing to the room I'd just cleaned with an expression that screamed 'what does it look like'.

"O-Oh." She nodded, looking around confused.

Oh fuck.

I forgot three year olds don't normally clean up after themselves, and they certainly don't just _not_ make a mess. Well, it was too late to take it back, so the only thing I could do was continue. I cleaned off the rice I'd accidentally spilled earlier (and hadn't noticed), before turning to Aiko.

"Garbage?" I lifted my hands for her to see the rice, hoping she got what I meant.

"Yeah, here come on." Aiko gently took me by the wrist, and guided me into the bathroom where the garbage was.

Oh duh.

"Ah, Chen-chan, your brother is here to get you," Aiko told me as I washed my hands off.

I immediately took off running, glad I'd thought to put my back on beforehand as I bolted down the hallway and into the main room. Lee was standing at the entrance to the house, not stepping in farther. I bolted towards him, and leapt into his arms, glad that he was used to me doing this.

"Nii-san!" I cheered as he laughed, holding onto me.

"Hello, Chen-chan!" Lee grinned, and I pressed my hands on his cheeks with a grin of my own.

Oh hell yes.

I was milking this cute kid thing for all it was worth, and I'd be damned if I didn't. I mean, I really was excited to see my big brother after a long day, but I knew I was being excessive. After all, I wasn't aware when I was this young in my last life, and fuck if I didn't milk this shit for all it was worth. I could undoubtedly get many things in return for a smile or a pout.

Just like when I used to cry to get out of trouble in school.

Lee hurriedly slipped my shoes onto my feet, and set me on the ground, before signing me out of the registry. After that was done, he set me on his shoulders and off we went.

The rest of the night was filled with him chattering on about his day, and even though I didn't understand it he sounded really excited. Time flew by until it was time for dinner, where Lee simply went out for a bit to get takeout, leaving me home alone. While I was alone I pulled my book from my bag and hid it under some of my picture books and toys. Lee never really looked through anything of mine unless looking for a toy or book for me, or cleaning up, so I felt it was safe there.

Lee was home soon enough with takeout, and the rest of the night passed just as fast. After dinner was our nightly reading sessions, and then exercises, which was then followed by a bath, then bed. Just like normal.

* * *

The next few weeks proceeding my entry into daycare was kept relatively the same. I woke up, ate breakfast with Lee, the two of us got dressed and packed our bags, Lee made us bento boxes while I cleaned up a bit, then we left. When I got to the daycare, although I hadn't learned how to write my name properly, the genin on duty would sign me in (apparently the daycare was for ninja children only, or kids who wanted to go to the academy, which was why the daycare lady who ran the place had an ongoing streak of d-rank missions for genin to help out for the day).

Although I constantly saw the genin around (to my pleasure, Aiko's team came around two more times within the week), I never actually say the daycare lady.

I felt and adult's chakra in the house constantly, but pinpointing it was almost impossible, and though I'd learned which chakra signature was (presumably) the caretaker's, I couldn't exactly find her. It was like she was masking her presence or something, but I couldn't tell why.

Thankfully, however, I was left alone, free to do as I pleased until Lee came to get me. Most days were spent with me writing down whatever I could remember in my book, or napping. When I napped, I typically did so under the kotatsu - it was well protected, hidden from plain sight, and most of all very comfortable. Other days, when I decided to work on my mindscape, I napped behind the bookcase, hidden and protected by the space only children could get to without having issue. As the case would have it, filtering all that chakra (even though it was in small, controlled levels) into my head when feeding my 'pet project' left me exhausted, so I only focused on my mindscape every couple of days.

The other days were filled with training in the form of sticking things to my body.

If I was focused, sticking things to my hand was no issue, but when I lost focus it became one. Which, of course, was the point of training like this - to make using chakra instinctual, rather than having to focus to use it. So I would write with one hand, while sticking a piece of paper onto my forehead with chakra.

It was slow, and tedious, but I had nothing better to do, so it was the best choice.

During my time at daycare, it was rare for another kid to come into the library, and when they did I was usually hidden, so they never noticed me, but if they did they never said anything. It was easy to hide back there, and I was quiet, so I continued my routine like clockwork.

The only notable event was my birthday, in which Lee took us out for dinner at a nearby restaurant, and then we went and got dango afterwards. I got a new sweater - a cute parka in a soft yellow color. The pale yellow had never been flattering on my old body, but it actually looked really nice on me now.

I didn't like the brightness of it, but it was extremely comfortable, and soon became my favorite to wear, and it helped keep me warm when I napped at daycare.

Little did I know, that the yellow parka I wore would become an iconic part of my image for years to come.

* * *

 **AN:** something i forgot to mention in the previous chapter was that the reason I didn't get it out as fast as I'd hoped, is that I ended up getting super sick yesterday, to the point where I didn't want to do anything but sleep, so although I'd been writing it and almost finished, I ended up having to rewrite it today because wow okay I was definitely loopy when I wrote it.

Ah, either way - sorry that these chapters are kinda slow but trust me there are reasons for it lol

I promise that there's an action filled chapter coming soon!

 **Chapter 8**

AN: nope, this isn't the more action-y episode, though things are gonna begin to pick up from here. More info at the bottom

* * *

The months proceeding my entrance to daycare and Lee to the Academy were calm, peaceful, and had a set schedule.

I went to daycare, trained or goofed around in the library, ate lunch then took a nap, then Lee came and got me, we went home and trained together, ate, bathed, then went to bed. It wasn't hard training, of course - Lee mostly had basic classes like most first graders do, actually. He also had after school training, apparently. He had a deal going with one of the teachers, that if he did all of his homework and managed to keep a high enough grade, then she would help him in learning how to cook and sew every other school day. On days he wasn't learning the domestic skills he used at home, he was training at the academy grounds, working on taijutsu, since that was really all he could do currently.

Every night, Lee worked with me on what he'd learned in school that day - math was embarrassingly easy, since it was all addition and subtraction at his current levels. Reading was much harder, unfortunately - my mind wasn't built for Japanese, it was built for English. But, nonetheless, Lee persevered and kept reading with me. He also led me through the basic stretches they were being taught, and we went on jogs in the evening for a bit. Well, okay I mainly just sat on Lee's back or stayed home and focused on other training, but still. Lee also led me through basic katas that he learned, and our physical training schedule was a little longer than an hour.

I _knew_ that if I began training my body early it would only help, but I was reluctant to run. I didn't like it in my past life, and I hated exercise in general anyway. I preferred sleeping over exercising, and I was almost always tired. But, in the end I couldn't hate my schedule, since it let me spend time primarily doing whatever the fuck I wanted.

Then I fucked it up in the most fantastic manner.

* * *

It had been a decently normal day of cooping myself up away from people, and training.

I'd progressed to the point where I could easily stick multiple different types of objects onto my hands, and I could keep a piece of paper on my forehead for a little while, though when I get too engrossed with whatever else I'm doing, it falls. Or I run out of chakra.

So naturally, I decided I needed to progress further in my self-training.

The only thing I could think of was tree climbing practice, or water walking, but in the end I didn't think I had enough chakra for that yet. On the other hand, I could always try it with my hands, and focus on that. The only issue was that I couldn't practice inside (if I put too much chakra out I would damage the walls, and be found out. I didn't want to ruin the walls because Lee and I didn't have money to be shelling out cash over stupid shit, and it was also rude and I knew I wouldn't be able to hide the holes.

Plus, I was sure a jonin sensei would easily figure out what I was doing, and I didn't want to be found out. And with the genin teams here every day, I didn't want to play with chance.

So, I decided to sneak out.

It wasn't like anybody would likely notice if I left for awhile, considering nobody ever really noticed me in the library. Plus there was a window in the library that was incredibly easy to open, and I knew I could open it from the outside. I'd practiced pushing and pulling the window with chakra, and it was really easy.

So I did it.

I threw my bag out the window, and scrambled up onto the windowsill, pumping chakra into my legs before falling down.

I hit the ground with no pain, and once I was up I ceased pumping chakra into my legs. I realized, after I'd already climbed out the window, that I had no idea where I was going. Sure, I'd snuck an extra pair of shoes in my bag specifically for this, but I had no idea where to go.

The park wasn't the proper place for training, but i doubted there were any free training grounds.

I didn't even know how to get to any training grounds.

Shit.

I shook my head and pulled my spare shoes on and pulling my bag over my shoulder. The only way to get anywhere was to just start walking. I nodded and brought my fist up in a sign of determination, before crawling through a hole in the fence, avoiding being sighted by anyone if I could help it.

It was remarkably easy to walk around Konoha, so long as I stayed close to the side of the road, and trailed behind a family of kids, which was extremely easy to do. Most of the kids didn't even notice I was trailing behind them, and the adults sure didn't. If they did, I'm pretty sure they just assumed I was trying to play with their kids, so they didn't question it.

After what felt like hours of finding families to follow, I finally found an open training ground.

At least, I assumed it was free, considering I didn't feel anyone inside.

It was easy to run into the woods, until I came out into an open clearing. The clearing was perfect, so I set my bag in the middle, and tugged my parka on tighter. The mid-Autumn weather was perfect - not too cold not too warm. It was a little harder picking a tree - my first instinct was "find one without branches" but I realized that a tree with branches would be easier, since they would break my fall, rather than having nothing to catch me should something happen.

I found a suitable tree on the edge of the clearing - one with plenty of branches, but not too much. I funneled chakra into my hands, and began sticking and pulling my hands against the tree, seeing what would let me up. Once I'd gotten my hands working, I focused on working on my feet, which was definitely not fun, as my feet were significantly harder to stick. There was a reason that this was considered somewhat difficult chakra control training, and I was finding that out the hard way.

By the time lunch rolled around, I was exhausted.

I sat down heavily next to my bag, pulling out my bento with shaking hands, and eating my onigiri as fast as my mouth could work.

By the time I'd finished my lunch, I debated on whether or not to just take a nap in the training grounds, but eventually decided against it. I had no idea just what time it was, and if I wasn't careful, Lee would get to the daycare before I did. That would definitely be an issue, so I shoved my empty bento back into my bag, and shuffled back the way I came.

Thankfully I'd had the insight to set down a pencil where I'd entered the clearing from, so I just had to scan around for it before coming back the way I'd came. I committed the route from the training ground to the academy as I walked, so that I could come back tomorrow and train more.

Once I hit the academy, it was easy to find the daycare, and all i had to do to go back in was crawl through the hole in the fence and use the large flowerpot below it to climb back inside. The library was empty again, and I took a quick glance at the time - only one o'clock - I'd been gone for a few hours. Lee wouldn't be here until at least four, so I had time to nap after I cleaned up.

I took my shoes off and shoved them into my bag before padding over to the bathroom across the hall.

I cleaned myself up with a washcloth, then made sure the washcloth was cleaned of dirt too, before placing it into the hamper. Once I was done (and had gone to the bathroom), I went back into the library, and piled up cushions and a couple pillows beneath the kotatsu, before grabbing my blanket and laying down for a nap.

My head had barely hit the pillow before I was out like a light.

* * *

AN: okay so quick info before review responses - chen is non-binary but doesn't really know her gender, she just knows that she's roughly along the lines of agender, but she just slaps a non-binary on it and calls it good. She uses she/her pronouns mostly for convienence, but does generally prefer they/them pronouns

Also the reason im updating so much today is because I've been sick and so ive been laying down most of the day lol.

DarkDust27: Nana mode sounds adorable, and I'm 8000% sure Chen will use something along those lines once she learns genjutsu, because cute sparkles and stuff are a must have, and Chen is super into using her adorableness to get things

 **Chapter 9**

 **AN** : Bleh, sorry this took so long to get out, i had a case of writing blog with this chapter :/ no matter how i'd write it, this chapter just wouldn't get written in a satisfying way, so i decided after the 8th time rewriting it, that i would just get what i felt the best version was out.

next chapter will be the fruition of the project, which will be explained in more detail. Might last one chapter, might last three, who knows right now. I'll try and explain it while keeping it as non-ramble-y as possible. But the next part after that will be her entering the academy! From there it'll start to pick up - once we hit where the teams are assigned, we'll really get going! Sorry it's taking so long to get there, but I promise it'll start picking up soon!

Edit: i fucking forgot to format a couple of things oh my god im so sorry

* * *

Once I was sure I could sneak out of daycare without getting caught, I did it as often as possible.

It wasn't even all that hard, which was worrying to a degree - after all, I was in daycare for soon-to-be academy students, which was run by ninja. I wasn't going to fool myself into thinking that I was better than whoever ran the place, nor the jonin that frequented the daycare with their genin teams. While clan kids may not be placed in the daycare (often), from what I could tell, shinobi parents trusted this place to take care of their kids while out on missions. I'd seen more than one frantic kunoichi (or shinobi father) rapidly ushering their child into the safety of the daycare while a teammate hurriedly threw together their mission bag.

So the question was _why_ was I being allowed to sneak out.

As days turned into weeks, and weeks to months, I began to grow restless.

My frustration simply kept on growing, and in turn I became more reckless as I snuck out of daycare time and time again. I would walk openly in the street without the help of passing families, or openly walk straight into training grounds without sneaking through fences. I would hassle passerby for candy or other treats, and sometimes I would take my allowance (why Lee was giving a three- er, four year old allowance I had no idea) and buy street food.

Sometimes, if I was really daring, I would walk into a store (if I went to ninja stores I found that they were a lot more willing to cooperate with me, likely because they assumed I was some sort of ninja kid who had to pick up groceries) and I would buy whatever I felt like. Sometimes I would buy chips, or chocolates, or whatever other snack I could find that I could get with my meager amount of money. (Ninja-run shops were easier to get food from, whereas civilian run shops were easier to steal from, or convince someone to give me free food.)

My food trips helped me built a rapport with the daycare kids (not like I wanted to actually talk with them, however).

Every time I brought back food, I would disperse whatever I didn't eat to the kids there (which was usually candy). I mean, it was easier than trying to explain to Lee why I had mass amounts of candy every day. So, naturally, the kids started anticipating the every-day candy trips I made. If I wasn't getting candy from the store, I was stealing it from the kitchens when asked, or when I didn't have money myself. (Well, to be fair I'd been sneaking candy ever since a couple of months since I'd been enrolled at the daycare, and had been dispersing it among the others who saw me getting it, but I'd been doing it far more frequently ever since sneaking out.)

The kitchen was riddled with minor traps that wouldn't even bruise (snare traps that automatically disengaged two minutes after activated, wire traps that pelted the person with seeds, etc etc..). The traps were placed under extremely minor genjutsu that were done in a way that made the tiles look warped, so it wasn't hard to see or figure out. (Though, to be fair I was at an advantage since I could feel the chakra from the genjutsu - the chakra from genjutsu felt kinda like mist, or fog.)

The kids apparently couldn't find me unless I was right in front of them, so when it wasn't nice enough out (too hot, raining, muggy, etc..) I would hide behind the bookcase. Seriously, the bookcase was so easy to hide behind and it wasn't even a good hiding place, I don't get how kids can be so stupid. At least hiding behind the bookcase let me work on my pet project (which was coming to fruition, finally), which was time well spent hiding from the loud and grabby kids.

After the first time someone startled me, I'd learned to prepare myself from the children and their grabby little hands and loud voices.

But, one of the redeeming qualities of my daily trips was the fact that I could finally see results of my training.

I could finally do a sort-of tree climbing thing, but only if I used both my hands and feet, and I could stick to the bark for about a minute or two, so long as I didn't move. I also could jump higher than before, by pumping chakra into my legs. I could jump almost six feet into the air, and about twenty five percent of the time, I could stick to a tree in a bastardized tree-jumping technique.

My nightly training with Lee also improved my endurance (I could vaguely recall something about yang chakra being improved during physical exercise?), as well as my stamina.

There wasn't much that I could do at my current age, of course, but every little bit would eventually help. I knew that, of course, but I also was very lazy... So I trained during the day if I had motivation, if not I trained at night with Lee. Mostly, I let Lee carry me around the village as he went for a nightly jog.

But...one perk of going on jogs with him was my new body.

Whereas my old body was feminine, and soft, and chubby, this body was not. My old body was pear shaped, and I had strong legs, broad shoulders and a wide chest (not really boobs, but eh). Where my old body was that of a civilian, I could already see the Shinobi genetics that came into play with my new body. (Though I was primarily basing my findings off of a four-year-old body, and Lee's eventual body, so in the end who knew what I would end up with.)

My body had a fast metabolism (though that might be a ninja thing), and my hair grew fast and strong. My hair, from what I could tell, grew at nearly double the rate of the other kids, and it grew in thick. My body was also built for speed, and holy shit was that amazing.

My old body had not been built for speed - I'd really enjoyed riding bikes (I actually missed bike riding a lot, come to think of it) and had gone whenever I'd gotten a chance. My new body, in comparison, was built for running and I fucking loved it.

I'd spent more than a good chunk of my time over the past year just running around town and the training grounds.

It was exhilarating, just being so...so free. I could go anywhere I wanted - I had the energy, the body, and the will to do so (sometimes). I could just run and run and never look back, if I truly wished. I ran, and ran and ran, and when I did run around the training field, until exhaustion, I couldn't help the smile on my face.

It was just...so amazing!

The other results of my training, was a fuller sleep.

All in all, my time was filled with just as must frustration as it was exhilaration.

 **Chapter 10**

It happened three months before I was to enter the academy.

I had been laying down, waiting for sleep, when a small voice echoed in my head.

 _System started, please input information._

The world immediately began spiraling out of control, and everything fell into darkness. Lee's snoring next to me faded away, the darkened room (only slightly illuminated by the neighbor's light), and the sound of my own breathing all gave way to soft rolling fields of grass, and bright blue skies filled with clouds.

I gaped in surprise as the scenery shifted, carrying me to the grand tree in the center of my mindscape.

And, if it couldn't get any weirder - things were different.

The tree itself had changed - the ordinary tree now looked like something akin to a control center - the trunk of the tree was carved out, and the roots of the tree were pulled from the ground in such a way that it looked like a weeping willow that had been turned upside down. (Or like a barrier of sorts.)The inside of the tree was filled with shelves of books, all lined up the walls so high that I couldn't see (I noted that the books were a rainbow of colors, sizes, and shapes). As I stepped inside, I found that the ceiling of the tree was non-existent, to my sight and knowledge of course.

In the center of the room was an orb of light, floating innocently among screens of light that twisted around it in such a way that I could only be reminded of technology from Star Wars, or some other sci-fi movie that I couldn't quite think of.

 _"System started, please input information."_ The orb blinked like a start-up screen notification, and to my own mortification, I instantly reached out to touch it.

As my hand brushed against the orb, my muscles locked into place, and it felt as though my hand were against a vacuum cleaner.

A painful vacuum cleaner.

My muscles ached and bright light flashed behind my eyes as my world briefly blacked out, before finally coming to.

I was on the ground, hands clenched into a claw, my nails scraping lines against the hard wood as I came to my senses. I was on all fours, blinking at the water falling from my eyes and forehead (eww...sweat _and_ tears). There was a soft beeping noise at my side, and a sharp pain was reverberating through the side of my head.

I began to breathe deeply, closing my eyes and covering my ears until the headache faded, leaving me with a dull ache behind my eyes that was, at least manageable. I stood uneasily, wobbling slightly and so I moved back to the wall, leaning against the bookcase there to catch my breath.

 _"System updated, thank you for entering your information."_

I turned to look at the orb of light, which was now a floating girl.

She was taller, with a more typical "anime girl" figure than I'd expected to see (the middle sized boobs, perfect hips, and just all around slender figure). Her entire body was emitting a soft glow of white light, though from what I could tell she was pale, and her hair was long enough to fall down to the floor. Or, it would have, had her hair not been floating about her as though she was underwater.

Strips of cloth floated about her (gossamer, I noted. It was like mine) though more closely to her body, kind of like steam in the animes with fan-service.

 _"Hello, Chen."_ Ghost-robot-light-whatever-girl waved at me, floating towards me with a blank look on her face.

"Uh...who are you?" I backed up a step, only to realize my back was still pressed up against the bookshelf and I couldn't go anywhere.

 _"I am Cortex."_ Cortex tilted her head, before pulling me away from the bookshelf and righting one of the scrapbooks that had fallen onto its side.

"Uh, so, Cortex," I began, nervously backing up. "What are you?"

I was given a blank look, once again, as Cortex floated right back into her cocoon of light screens.

She tapped away on them, eyes unblinking and blank (super creepy) as she looked around. After a moment, she seemed to find what she was looking for, as she pulled a screen close to her and moved the rest away.

 _"Chen, as I am sure you will ask me to call you, I am Cortex."_ Cortex tilted her head, waiting for it to sink in. _"I was created from a rift in your mind and body, an anomaly. A coping mechanism, an accident, morbid curiosity, whatever you wish to call me._

" _I was created from the rift in your soul, the excess spiritual energy you have, that you were filtering to your brain little by little, solely by accident, allowed for my formation. I function constantly, like a program on one of the computers of your past. Or perhaps you will call me an Artificial Intelligence - an AI._

 _"I function to help you through what you cannot do alone, a feat which you could not perform in your old life due to the limiting factors you had. Your old rifts, facets, whatever you may call them, are now within me. I work solely to focus your influx of memories, and will rid you of old ones that hold no importance._

 _"Or, at least, I will be able to sort through them for you."_

Cortex, who had been tapping away at her screen the whole time, suddenly stopped to look at me, giving a sort-of-grin that was forced, but you could tell she was trying.

I couldn't help but give a grin at that, too.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

After all - I now had someone to do all the shit I didn't want to do.

And I was a lazy motherfucker.

* * *

 **AN:** A short chapter, since I just wanted to introduce cortex! She'll be chiming in a bit more often now, though the next chapter or two will be a more transitioning chapter.

A couple chapters later, and we'll get into a big event, and then the academy!

 **DarkDust27:** I've actually got a specialty planned for Chen already, actually! She won't be the fastest ninja alive or anything, but those Lee genetics certainly help her out with it for sure.

 **Chapter 11**

Okay, so maybe having a computer-personality in your head isn't such a good idea.

Granted, I'd been pretty ecstatic at first - when I'd finally gotten settled down with Cortex, we'd gone through some memories together (which was what the scrapbooks were, apparently). Filtering out some of the memories were easy - of course, I was reluctant to get rid of anything, but the two of us agreed simple memories from my infancy were unlikely to be needed, except for body development, so we kept the bare bones, and allocated it to the shelf of "instinctual memories".

The next month passed in a similar fashion - after making the rule that Cortex was not allowed to delete my memories without approval, she simply went through memories and sorted them. Memories she didn't really deem important were marked with some sort of system only she could see, and when I slept she moved them down to me.

We would go through memories, keeping some and deleting others, until she was sure she could safely sort through everything, and reorganize it.

I could actually feel the improvement of my own mind as it happened - it was like walking through a thick fog that I couldn't see through, and then finally walking far enough that it began to fade.

I soon learned that Cortex made it easier for me to learn the language being spoken around me, though how she did I didn't know. It was like a switch had turned on in my head, and I was picking up the words a lot faster than before - sentence structure, pronunciation, variables in conversation. All of it began to blend and I understood what was being said, and could form full sentences with little effort.

Well, theoretically that is.

I still had trouble pronouncing words (five year-olds have trouble pronouncing words due to an uncoordinated tongue, I learned), but as I grew older I knew it would only be a matter of time before I could speak the language as I understood it. (I didn't even understand it too well, maybe more of a nine-year-old vocabulary than a five-year-old but it was still impressive to other people, apparently.)

Cortex was ever-pushy about me reading and writing, as I was entering the Academy soon, and she "would not tolerate inferior tendencies due to our collective age."

Which, of course, meant that I spent more time back at the daycare than normal, as there were so many books there that I could easily read. (When it wasn't a trapped book, that is.) The time back at the daycare also meant I was getting less sun than I had before, and less training time, but I made up for it by wandering about later at night, when Lee went for his run around the village.

It seemed he hadn't quite yet discovered his lack of talent in Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, so I made sure to plaster his easy-going smile and excitement for school to my memory.

Another month passed with ease, which I spent mainly picking up various tidbits of info off of the street, or training.

There was no better way to learn the language than to experience it firsthand, after all.

I soon learned all of the curse words I had wanted, too.

I was doing quite well for myself, in fact. A good training regimen, a good home life, and a steady stream of information. I'd also been able to pick up books again, which was a great relief as I'd been missing out on things to do. Lee and I didn't have a TV like our other neighbors (we weren't even genin, and the weekly checks we got were really only enough for the basics and some luxuries here and there - hell, we didn't even have a mirror yet).

Escaping into books was fantastic - even better was the ability to read manga again, which, while I didn't buy, I could go into the book store and read for free if I was sneaky enough about it. Or if the shopkeeper didn't mind the occasional kid lingering about the corner, so long as I made sure to put everything back.

My days were easy, and the growing anticipation of the academy kept me on edge.

But then, on the other side of things, I found myself constantly mentally exhausted.

Cortex, who didn't need mental recuperation, was always hungry for more, never satisfied, and I never caught a reprieve from memory filtering. Or any number of other activities, like mindscape building/shaping, or reorganization.

I never had any mental downtime, and I was afraid it was showing.

The ever-present bags under my eyes didn't worsen, but they certainly hadn't lessened, and while my body was alright, I was barely making the mental cut. My only saving grace was that Cortex was usually watching things progress in real-time if I wasn't relaxing. It had something to do with picking up on small nuances and cultural differences or something.

I began to worry - could I keep her hunger for knowledge satiated while in the academy?

Then, approximately two weeks before I was to enter the academy, I was called into a meeting with the Hokage.

 **Chapter 12**

AN: A quick segway chapter to get me back into the swing of writing before I tackle the next chapter, which is the Hokage meeting. Double update so any other info is on the next chapter.

* * *

I take back everything good I said about Cortex.

Every praise of being an amazing, revolutionary, AI-esque being who could do amazing things, like helping me with learning Japanese, or helping me think clearer due to being able to sort through my memories with me. Or helping me with my mindscape, and how to prepare for intruders. How to lie better, control chakra better, remembering my taijutsu stances and katas, anything and everything under the sun became progressively easier for me the longer I had Cortex helping me.

But, on the other side of things, Cortex was not really mine to control.

Sure, she listened to me and couldn't do things I didn't want her to (well, she _didn't_ do them, rather than _couldn't_ ). Sure, she was generally really passive and hated being in control of the "meat puppet", but in the end she still caused problems.

Cortex was ever-thirsty for new topics, and as such she'd taken to deciphering the books in the daycare with fervor. Every spare moment I had was spent with her scanning over the various children's books while I practiced chakra control on my own. Her insatiable lust for understanding how things worked was rapidly pushing me into a space in time where I knew I would be labeled a prodigy.

Normal children who aren't even in the academy yet can't read basic katakana usually, and they certainly can't read basic Kanji at all.

At least... I don't think they can.

I sure as fuck can't - only Cortex can read it, really, and she's mainly just making sure certain wires in my brain are connecting. Kind of like an automatic translate function.

Either way, while the new things Cortex was helping me do were cool, they were pushing me into territory I didn't really want to pursue. I was picking up language far faster than I should, I was getting accelerated chakra control, and I could sneak out of daycare and wander around town with ease.

I didn't want to be a prodigy.

I had no plot armor of any sort, and I was an orphan.

From what I could remember, Danzō was running that ROOT thing or whatever, and (also from fanfiction I'd read) I knew that he would try and recruit prodigies from ANBU, and would go so far as to spirit away orphans in the night. Two things I was, and those two things made it dangerous for me to cross that territory. I could easily be spirited away, and no one would care because Lee wasn't the head of a clan, or heir to one, he was basically a nobody (as much as I didn't like admitting it) and my disappearance would be unnoticed.

But...I also felt proud of myself whenever I could do anything new.

It was conflicting - I was in a constant struggle of wanting to be a prodigy and not wanting to be one. I wanted to be someone my brother would be proud of, and someone who he could rely on. But at the same time, I didn't want to be caught up in plot I had no way to fix, or couldn't predict due to my lack of reliable knowledge.

But at the same time, I had no choice in the matter, because the glorified Siri in my brain would literally make it so I couldn't sleep if I didn't help keep her busy, or at the very least provide her with entertainment. Which, of course, meant that if I wanted to get any sort of mental recuperation at night, I had to present Cortex with a bunch of study materials during the day, or give her a set of riddles, or puzzles, to figure out.

Which pushed me further into prodigy territory, because the things I was doing weren't normal for kids.

Fuck my life.

 **Chapter 13**

 ** _DID I NOT FUCKING TELL YOU THAT THIS PRODIGY SHIT WAS DANGEROUS?_**

 _No, you most certainly did tell me, I just didn't care._

 _ **WHAT THE FUCK?**_

 _No no see it's completely reasonable._

 _See, if we make ourselves known_ now _rather than later, then we will be safer in terms of_ _Danzō._

 **Well, I suppose that make-WAIT NO YOU DIDN'T THINK OF THAT. YOU JUST WANTED TO READ THINGS.**

 _Well_ excuse me _for wanting something to do other than fester in your mindscape while you run around playing ninja all day._

I suppressed the feeling of wanting to kick a chair, or the wall, actually anything available would have been fine really, as I yelled at Cortex in my head. I didn't have to play nervous as I sat in a chair outside of the Hokage's office, staring down at my lap as I tried to calm the panic attack rising in my chest. There was no way I was going to be able to keep myself calm, so I didn't bother much to hide it (other than trying not to break down of course).

It was a little gratifying to see the ANBU who had brought me here look put out, awkwardly standing there on the opposite side of the hall. Their stance reminded me of someone who's friend was crying, and they gently patted the friend's shoulder, saying "there there". It was pretty amusing, but couldn't curb the feeling of distress I knew was rolling off of me in waves.

I knew the Hokage was very busy, so I knew it could very well be awhile before I would get in to whatever meeting I was called for.

In that time, I desperately went over everything that had happened in the past twenty minutes, but I couldn't find a single thing I'd done out of the norm.

I'd stayed in the library all day, sleeping and catching up on some basic memory sorting (Cortex and I were now moving onto compressing memories needed for instincts, like moving chakra through my system, or breathing. That kind of stuff). Then, after lunch I'd taken a nap, before waking up and cleaning the room up.

Then, right as I'd finished, a mother fucking ANBU dropped out of nowhere and scared me so bad I jumped, and let out a squeaking sound.

The ANBU (I had no idea what their mask was honestly - was it a cat? a weasel? it was a mystery) simply told me to come with him, and I, in no position to object, barely managed to hold on before I was being swept up and rushed away.

Well, body-flickered away.

Then I was sat down here, outside of the Hokage's office, and told that I would be speaking to him soon.

What the fuck.

"Come." ANBU-san gently put a hand on my shoulder, and I jumped, sucking in a frightened breath.

I felt my heart jump into my throat as the ANBU directed me towards the large doors of the Hokage's office, and I could hardly breathe. I felt in a daze, half awake and scared, terrified to the point I couldn't breathe, couldn't hold onto anything, and I could hardly move my muscles were so tense. On the other hand, I was so far gone I could only barely feel anything.

Then I caught sight of my brother inside, looking confused, and a little hurt.

"Hello Chen-chan, I was just having a talk with your brother." The Hokage chuckled, giving a warm grin as the ANBU disappeared behind me.

"I am so fucked." I whispered/hissed in English, swallowing thickly as my chest constricted.

"Chen?" Lee looked to me, confused, and I stepped forward, wringing my wrists between my hands.

"H-Hello, Hokage-sama." I choked out, bowing quickly and politely like I'd been taught.

"Chen-chan, do you know why you're here?" Hokage-sama leaned forward on his elbows, and I could tell he was trying to look as non-threatening as possible.

"N-No Hokage-sama," I responded in a hoarse voice, trying to breathe evenly.

"Well Chen-chan, you're here to discuss your enrollment in the Academy." The Hokage smiled, and I felt the knot in my chest unravel a bit. "As well as your habits during your stay at the daycare."

Fuck.

"What do you mean?" I choked out, trying to keep my head high and a confused look on my face.

Maybe I could bluff my way out of this - there was a chance that if I pretended not to know, I wouldn't get caught. After all, admitting that you've done something wrong before even finding out if the other person knows is a rookie mistake in lying, and I considered myself a decent enough liar.

The Hokage chuckled, and his smile got a little larger.

"What I mean, Chen-chan, is your habit of leaving the daycare, in favor of training."

Oh fuck.

"O-oh." I squeaked, nervously looking down at my feet.

"Chen-chan, would you mind telling me and your brother here what it was you were doing during your time unsupervised?"

Ah shit.

Well, might as well just get it over with and out of the way - he obviously knows.

"I-I was training, Hokage-sama." I whispered, wringing my wrists between my hands.

"Training?" I heard Lee ask, but I didn't dare look up at him.

"I-I spent a lot of time training, like ninjas do." I breathed deeply, before just plowing through into everything.

"I- I did that thing, with chakra, where y-you climb up walls and stuff. I-I wasn't so good at it when I started, but I didn't wanna bust holes in the walls, so I found an abandoned training field, and- and I uh, I started climbing up the trees. I-I'm still not good at it - I have to use my hands and my feet, but I uhm, I can climb okay. I also uh, I spend time playing in town a lot, and sometimes nice people will give me free food, like in stores and stuff."

I stopped, flushing with embarrassment when I realized I was rambling again, a nervous habit that had never really left me.

"Well, Chen-chan, that certainly is something to be proud of." Hokage-sama smiled as I looked up, and I felt a chill slide down my spine. "It's also come to my attention that you've been able to dispel minor genjutsu, and have been able to steal food without being noticed."

Ah fuck.

"Y-yes Hokage-sama, I erm...I uh, I noticed the genjutsu in the kitchen really easily - the tiles warp and it looks like you're looking down at water." I explained, turning my gaze so I was pointedly not looking at him, or my brother.

In fact, I hadn't looked at Lee the entire time we'd been here.

I couldn't bear to think what he was looking at me like, I couldn't bear to think of what he was thinking of me now, or else I knew I would break down.

"I see, and I also see that you've been giving the candy you steal to the other kids?"

"Y-Yes, Hokage-sama. I knew I couldn't eat all of the candy, so I would give it away." I bit my lip, looking down at my shoes.

"You've also been going in and getting things when asked, haven't you?"

I snapped my head up to look at the Hokage, his pleasant smile setting me on edge, while still giving me the feeling of "elderly grandpa".

"H-How do you know that?"

I realized after I'd spoken how rude my words were, and flushed in embarrassment, averting my eyes to the ground.

God I really was putting on a show for Lee, wasn't I?

The Hokage simply chuckled, and I felt my brother's chakra swirl in confusion, h- no, no I wasn't going to look at that chakra. No, that was a bad idea.

"Chen-chan, your daycare is a daycare for ninja to enter the academy." Hokage-sama paused, humming for a moment as I felt flame chakra ignite in front of me, and then the air was filled with the thick smell of smoke from his pipe. "Your daycare is monitored by ninja, Chen-chan."

I gaped at the Hokage, my mind whirring at a hundred miles an hour as I processed the information.

OH MOTHERFUCKER THIS WAS JUST LIKE MOST FANFICTION.

GOD.

DAMNIT.

"Y-Th-THE DAYCARE IS JUST TO MONITOR PROGRESS FOR KIDS ENTERING THE ACADEMY?" I gaped, hands flying to my hair as I realized what this meant. "Oh my god - all those times I snuck out and wondered why I'd never been caught - I was being watched. All of those times I'd thought I was being watched - the chakra that stuck in the daycare! It was just a cover because ANBU members were watching the house, wasn't it?!"

I let out a cry of frustration, before sinking to the floor, head in my hands.

God.

Fucking.

Damnit.

"I can't confirm that, Chen-chan." The Hokage chuckled, puffing on his pipe. "But, what I do know, is that you are well above the requirements for entrance to the Academy."

I looked up at that, though I wasn't all that surprised.

"That's part of the reason I brought your brother here - aside from wanting him to know about your...talents."

I looked to Lee, and instantly felt my heart sink into my gut.

Lee was standing there, with a look I can only describe as a mix of hurt and pride, as though his face couldn't quite capture an emotion to feel, and I supposed that's what he was feeling.

I looked away quickly.

"You see, the problem is that, you, Chen-chan, are clearly advanced beyond your peers, though putting you in higher classes poses a similar risk of bullying. Though you would academically benefit from being advanced a couple of years, socially you wouldn't be left out, or in the worst case bullied. Though if you stayed with your peers, a similar risk is posed. The highest we could push you is two years ahead of schedule, however.

"I brought you and your brother here to decide - legally, it is your brother's decision in the end, as he's the older of you two, however I believed you should also get a say in your future."

I swallowed, and looked at Lee, who looked just as conflicted as I felt.

"I...Chen?" Lee swallowed, looking at me with a smile. "What do you want?"

"I...I don't know." I admitted, biting my lip before sighing. "I..actually, I would like to go to school with the older kids."

The Hokage nodded, a grin on his face, before looking at Lee, who simply nodded.

"Very well, I'll have the registration papers given to you when you get your checkup, Chen-chan." I nodded, remembering Lee's checkup he'd had to take me along for. "You and your brother can sign the papers then, with the help of the shinobi on call."

Lee nodded, and took me by the hand, helping me stand.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Lee said with utmost respect, and I mimicked him, feeling the dread I'd momentarily forgotten climb back up into my chest.

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur, a relatively short blur as it was, but a blur nonetheless. I barely remembered Lee walking out of the room with me in tow, until we got into the hallway.

The entire walk home was spent in complete silence.

* * *

AN: Hello! sorry for not updating for so long, I had a really tough time with this chapter.

the third hokage is hard for me to write, and I generally have a tough time with dialogue. Admittedly, chapter twelve was done a week or two ago, and I've been thinking about this chapter ever since, because i'm so terrible with dialogue. Eventually I realized that it wasn't going to be great yet, but I could eventually get the hang of dialogue if I keep going. Input would help, definitely, so if you've got any advice that would be really nice!

Anyway, double update, thank you for reading, and have a good day!

 **Chapter 14**

AN: Okay so it seems as though I have the inability to post chapters until I've hit almost midnight lmao

anyway i almost cried while writing this chapter, ngl. I get super into writing to the point where I had minor panic attacks while writing chapter thirteen, and i got super emotional here lol. Anyway, here's the next chapter before another transition, then we go into the school arc, which will last for a little while, but will pick up the pace from the first chapters, and have a lot more interesting points

Also thank you to everyone who reviewed!

(my only responses are that I have a plan for who's class she'll be in, and also she totally got played by the hokage)

* * *

The walk home from the Hokage's office was eerily silent, and Lee refused to look at me the entire way there.

I didn't bother speaking, despite the urge to ramble on and on about _anything_ I could. I didn't bother because I knew it wasn't worth it, I deserved the silence and that I should just bite my tongue, despite the tears pricking at my eyes. I held my breath to calm myself, and scrubbed at my eyes as I blocked out the information I was getting from Lee's chakra.

It was mostly negative with a glimmer of something bright - he was probably glad that he could finally get rid of me or something - once I hit the academy I could get an apartment of my own. I would get my own apartment and he would never have to look at me again, never have to deal with my selfish backstabbing _bullshit_ and I could just-

I tensed up as Lee opened the front door to our- _his_ apartment, stepping inside and switching to the house slippers he had bought on sale, and I did the same.

Lee pointedly did not look at me as he set his school bag down on the table - we'd had to stop by the academy to grab it, actually - and I set mine down in our shared room.

Like always.

"Chen?"

"Yes?" I turned around, but looked down at my feet, heart racing a mile a minute.

This was it.

He was going to give me a cease and desist, a "get your shit and get out", a two week notice, a "do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars". A "Jay I'm fucking kinkshaming jesus christ". A "I'm never taking you two to bath and body works again".

Okay no maybe not those last two, because the familiar ache I'd grown accustomed to settles deeper into my chest, and I swallow thickly, blinking back tears.

I fully expect Lee to leave me, like the time when we were far too young.

I don't expect Lee to sweep me up into a bone crushing hug, tears dripping onto my shoulder and down my neck.

Something...something inside me just- just _snaps_ and I- I start sobbing, tears flowing down my face and great hiccuping sobs heaving through me. I wrap my arms around Aniki's neck, burying my face into the space between my arm and his neck. Lee squeezes me tighter, and I feel another sob break through me.

I lose all track of time as I cry out the hollowness and _ache_ deep in my chest, a whole life and part of another's worth of pain crashing down on and around me, the deep-seated pain I'd been carrying flowing out of me. I felt so incredibly _guilty_ \- I'd lied to him for _years_ and I'd been getting even _worse_ lately. I'd literally left where he'd thought I was safe, wandered around the village _alone_ (I wasn't even _six_ yet, something I was forgetting constantly), and I'd been experimenting with Chakra even though I knew I could get chakra exhaustion.

God I was a ticking time bomb, no _wonder_ -

"I'm so sorry."

My response to Lee's words as he held me, was to short circuit.

"What?" I asked, breathlessly, staring at my brother in confusion.

"I-I'm sorry that you couldn't trust me with what you were doing." Lee confessed, tears slipping down his cheeks as she sniffed and rubbed at his eyes - he definitely wasn't a cute crier. "I- I should have been someone you could trust. I'm so deeply, deeply sorry that I couldn't be who you needed."

I started at him wordlessly, baffled before another arrow of guilt struck through me, and I let out another sob, clutching Aniki and crying into his shoulder. I probably wasn't a pretty crier either, but at this point I didn't really care. It was just a- a family thing.

"-and I just felt so bad and I didn't want to worry you. I-I'm so sorryyyyyy." I wailed, sniffing and sobbing.

When had I started speaking?

Shit not again.

Well, shit.

Either my words had the opposite effect I'd been wanting, or I'd fucked up somewhere along the line, because Aniki was clutching me to his chest again, and we were both sobbing. Lee was soaking my sweater with tears, and my tears soaking his shirt.

And something, some sort of voice in the back of my head, whispered that everything might just be okay.

 **Chapter 15**

AN: quick transition/exposition chapter lmao

* * *

ANBU Cat hummed a song beneath his breath as he made his way across the rooftops.

His work, which was a block away (exactly two streets down and one street over) from the Hokage's tower (and academy), was his life.

Sure, he was a little...not all there, and sure he was having memory troubles now and again, but the kids were his life.

ANBU Cat slipped into the secret entrance to Sapling Daycare (couldn't the Hokage have thought of a better name?) and was immediately greeted by ANBU Owl, and ANBU Crane. The two were engrossed in a rather intense game of what looked to be some sort of variant of Hanafuda, where they were only using chakra strings to move the cards, and were holding hands in some sort of strange grappling contest, using their pinkie fingers to create chakra strings. But only the left pinkie.

ANBU Panther (the one who lived here, pretty much) was watching the whole thing from across the room with a look in their eyes that ANBU Cat couldn't tell. It was either utter boredom, anger, disgust, or a mix of all three. (Or neither, he rationalized - considering Panther's tendencies when bored.)

Cat didn't really want to find out.

"Turtle is on perimeter checks." ANBU Hound hummed from the corner, answering Cat's unsaid question.

It wasn't like Hound could see it, but Cat grinned nonetheless.

"You're on kid duty."

The grin slid from Cat's face, and he promptly groaned, all love for his team member (no matter how temporary) gone.

"Whyyyyyyyyy?" He whined, laying on the ground, throwing an arm over his face.

"Because you were on perimeter checks yesterday, and the day before that you were on traps, and the day before that you were on seals." Crane supplied helpfully, not breaking eyes from her and Owl's staring/grappling/card contest.

"Rotation is key." Owl hummed in agreement, quoting what Cat had told them before.

"Shut the fuck off." Cat sighed, inching closer to the seal at the center of the room.

"You make. Absolutely no sense." Crane groaned.

"Mm." Cat hummed, lazing about over the seal in the center of the room, and extended his senses.

God this job was boring.

These kids were so _stupid_ (okay no they were just kids, but still) and no one ever did anything except fight with each other or play.

Well, there was the one kid who- oh there the kid goes now.

"Problem kid is leaving again." Cat hummed, grin on his face and spinning a kunai by the ring. "Hound, good buddy, I think you're on watch duty today?"

Hound sighed, and pocketed his book, before exiting through the panel they used as a common entrance.

Oh yeah, Hound was going to get revenge on him for that later, especially when he realized that Cat had specifically waited until he'd gotten comfortable (a minute slack in the shoulders, less tension in the thighs, and his toes didn't grip quite so tightly) to mention anything. The kid had left about two minutes ago, and Cat had simply waited.

The kid was fine, anyway - she had ANBU tails all day when she was here.

Considering she was one of the first out of the current kids who realized they could leave.

Cat sighed, and vaguely wished he'd been on watch duty today - he could have watched the kid do interesting stuff. Or that Naruto kid, the one who usually just skipped down to that ramen stand and dicked around there for a couple hours before heading back.

Sometime, Cat wished he didn't run daycare duty.

But, the look and feeling Hound gave off a week later, after dropping the kid off at the Hokage's office, was damn near enough to set his side in stitches.

So yeah, all in all?

Not a terrible job.

(Plus, though he wouldn't admit it, the kids were pretty damn entertaining, and he'd gotten fond of them. It also gave him a reason to get out of bed in the morning.)

* * *

I sighed, staring up at the ceiling numbly as Aniki snored next to me.

The events of the day had worn me out immensely, and yet I couldn't seem to sleep.

Cortex hummed away in the back of my mind, playing music here and there and I could feel her filing away memories.

 **Hey, Cortex?**

 _Yes?_

 **Why did I have such a bad reaction today?**

 _You were upset, Chen._  
 **  
Yeah, I know that, but what I'm asking is, why did you let me get so worked up?**

 _Oh._

 _Well, you see, you have primary control._

 **What?**

 _Ah, right, we haven't gone over this yet._  
 _  
So, the difference between you and I is that you were here first. I was created by you as a secondary personality, influenced by your chakra, to function as a tool for you to adapt._

 _You started by focusing on what you needed, then slowly but surely gave me a personality, despite not actually consciously focusing on it._

 _However, since you are...the 'head' personality, you are in control._

 _I function as a secondary facet of you, and while it is true I can technically pull the plug on your emotions if I catch it quick enough, any input I give can easily be overrided if I catch it too late, the emotions are too strong, or if you manually override me. Which technically speaking wouldn't be hard to do, but it would require a little more time than you typically would have._

 **So what you're telling me, is that I was too hysterical to fix.**

 _Basically?_

 _Yes._

 **Oh that's nice. Real nice, real fantastic there pal.**

 _You don't have to be quite so rude, you know._

 **You're right...I'm sorry.**

 _Apology accepted, now just sleep, I'll let you rest the night, I've got plenty to sort through right now._

 **Alright...Sounds good.**

Cue the world fading to dark.

 **Chapter 16**

The first day of school came all too fast for me, and I found an ever-growing tension in my gut.

I'd always been like this - every time I got close to a new school or neighborhood or any sort of place, I would get anxious. Would I like my teacher, my environment? Would I like my classmates? Would _they_ like _me_?

Would I make any friends?

The questions I knew would remain unanswered swirled around in my head, and I sighed, staring at myself in the mirror.

(Yes, mirror - Aniki had bought a new one just before this, something about some sort of family maintenance routine or something?)

I traced my jawline with the tips of my fingers, traced over my nose and lips (thin nose, thinish lips) and my eyes. My eyes were the same round eyes as Lee, and I noted that we actually looked a lot alike, but just in different ways.

Where Lee had thick lower eyelashes, I had the opposite - thick upper eyelashes. I had a more slender nose than he did, but our noses were a little more beak-ish (I don't even think I'm using the right term here) and while Lee didn't really have thick lips, I had a little fuller lips. His face was more angled, sharper than mine, but he still retained the baby face I also had. (We also had the same hair and eye color, which was to say, black with a tinge of dark brown in the eyes.)

Lee and I had the same eyebrows, mostly - his eyebrows were thicker, more rectangular than mine, whereas mine were softer, I suppose you could say?

Eh I don't really know.

I snapped out of my reverie at the sound of Lee singing from the kitchen, and groaned. Great, I'd only just managed to distract myself and now I was anxious again.

Well, something else then.

Okay, time to get ready.

I sighed, and looked over at my new outfit.

Lee had gotten me a new parka - the same pale yellow color as my last one, and he'd taken the liberty of sewing the bunny ears I was so used to onto the hood. (I loved it, even if it was too large, and meant for me to grow into.) A black skirt, and some spandex shorts, as well as a shuriken/senbon pouch that we had bought a couple of days ago. Underneath my parka I was being forced to wear a tank top, unfortunately, but at least when I got older I'd be able to wear ninja mesh instead. That would be great, considering I'd felt it while we were at the store, and that stuff was super light. It was like holding a cloud, with the texture of a steel net.

I was a little sad that my slip-on shoes were replaced with ninja sandals (stupid boots with open toes), but in the end I realized I'd get better traction with them, and the soles were easy to get chakra through. (Not as easy as bare feet, of course, but it would do.)

Once I was fully dressed, and my short hair (thank god Lee knew how to cut hair decently enough - a short bob was at least manageable by him) was brushed, I yawned and left the bathroom, dunking my dirty clothes into the basket on my way out.

Lee was still in the kitchen making breakfast as I walked out, so I went to my schoolbag and checked to make sure I had everything. My scrolls, books, pens, and other various materials I'd need were inside, just as I thought, as was a change of clothing. I also had made sure to pack my wallet, just in case. Lee had insisted on the change of clothing, which I kept tucked into the bottom of the bag.

The only thing missing was my work book, and a fun book to read if I got bored.

I ran into Lee and I's shared room, and picked the first book I saw, before prying up the floorboard and grabbing my personal book.

"Chen, breakfast!" Lee called from the kitchen.

"Coming!" I called, quickly pocketing my book, and shoving the other into my bag.

The rest of the hour passed in a panicked blur as I scarfed down breakfast, brushed my teeth, and made sure I had everything I'd need packed. I was ready, I'd _been_ ready for a little while now, but I still had to double check, just like I always had, before we began to walk to the academy.

After my doctor's appointment two weeks ago, and my second meeting with the Hokage, I was finally ready to start becoming a ninja.

* * *

As it turns out, there were ways of measuring one's chakra, and medical-ninja who worked at the hospital could figure out your chakra balance. Like, they could figure out if you were more Yin chakra, or Yang chakra (yin was spirit, yang was body, as was explained to me at least).

I apparently, was wrong about my assumption that I had extremely small amounts of chakra (hey, I'd only been using fanfiction as a basis for most of what I was doing, to be fair). Apparently, not to brag of course, but I had quite a large reserve for my age - about the size of a fresh genin, possibly a little more. My chakra was also heavily skewed towards yin, to the point that the medic-nin on duty had blinked, and retaken the measurements.

Three times.

But, in the end, we got the results that I was too advanced for my age, really, had a large amount of yin chakra and only a little above the base measure for yang, and I was officially declared as _not_ having chakra hypersensitivity.

This, as such, prompted my _second_ visit to the Hokage.

In which I had been given pleasantries like "how was your day", "was your doctor's visit okay" yada yada.

Then I'd been given a secondary bomb.

Since I had such large reserves (which, Cortex rationalized, was due to my reincarnation status, as well as learning out to sorta-tree climb), and it was so heavily skewed towards yin chakra, I would need a tutor.

Well, that wasn't exactly how the conversation went, of course, but the bottom line was I needed someone to teach me after school, and help me with training, to make sure I was able to more evenly balance out my chakra, as well as get rid of some of it so I wasn't overflowing, or something.

I don't know, I wasn't really listening, actually.

But the thing was, that I didn't even know who this tutor was.

The Hokage had told me, that when I started the academy, I would meet with my tutor straight after school.

In my opinion, I thought he was simply using this as a way to stall for more time and figure out who would be my tutor, depending on who would be able to work with me, and who he could easily strong arm into doing so.

But I digress - the whole thing was kinda convoluted and I actually really didn't know what was being said half the time. I kinda just tuned it out and let Cortex handle it for me, since I knew I couldn't handle it on my own. It was kinda like she was pulling a fuckin Jaeger on me, but more like prompting me in what to say rather than just taking control of my body.

I blinked, before realizing I was standing outside of the Academy with Lee.

Oh.

Well shit.

I'd just spaced out for a whole fifteen minutes or longer, way to go Chen.

I sighed, bit my lip, and walked alongside Lee through the front entryway.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Ten minutes later and I was already feeling that "long day" attitude settling in.

As soon as I'd stepped into the class, I'd been accosted by some older girl that I could only describe as the "faceless" side characters I'd been growing accustomed to seeing around town. She had the same bland hairstyle (long, dark brown), and the same average face I'd seen multiple times a day. Well, not really but she had the feel to her that I'd simply labeled as "side character".

"Oh, are you lost?" She'd practically cooed, side-eyeing a dark haired boy to the side. Oh okay, showing off and trying to be cool. "Because the first year classes are down the hall."

My chest briefly began to tighten as panic set in, before that humming feeling took control, and calmed me.

"First of all?" I began, blinking slowly, eyes half-lidded, "fuck off."

The girl went white in shock, and if this were in an anime, she would have had the pure white eyes of shock.

"Secondly, I'm here on purpose because I'm advanced. So, yknow, get used to a five year old doing better than you were at this age. Also trying to help people solely to look good in front of your crush is shitty, and you're a shitty person."

I immediately turned, walked to the back of the class, and sat down in the corner seat, pulling out my book and burying my nose in it.

 **CORTEX THAT WAS FUCKING SAVAGE BUT ALSO HOLY SHIT DID YOU JUST JAEGER MY ASS?**

 _Yes, yes I did. Also, thank you for the compliment, and focus on controlling yourself before I lose control of your facial muscles._

 **Alright, that's fair.**

I focused on breathing properly, and ignored the shell shocked look the girl from before had on her face, and tried to calm my hammering heart by reading. If I read for a little while, and focused on the page, I could calm my shaking hands. After a few minutes, I managed to still my hands right as my new teacher walked in.

I barely noticed, I was so sucked into the book I was reading.

Cortex nudged my mind, and I looked up right as...

Oh fuck.

That's Iruka.

Umino Iruka.

As in, Iruka-sensei, the one who was willing to die for Naruto.

Naruto, who is his student.

"Oh fuck me."

* * *

AN: Decided against adding in the doctor visit or the one to the hokage in the end, since I felt like they were unnecessary scenes.

also, chen did not say "oh fuck me" overly loud or anything but she def didn't whisper it.

EDIT: WHOOPS minor mistake, but i fixed it

 **Chapter 17**

You'd think that during my enrollment process, I would have went "oh well I wonder who my teacher is", but no. I'm a fucking idiot who decided to worry about other things, and had just not caught any wind of who I would be taught by. Nor had I happened to run into canon characters before this, other than my brother and the Hokage, really.

So yeah, having a minor panic attack wasn't helping, nor was the fact that I suddenly realized I was sitting close to a couple of canon characters, who just happened to sit along the row. Otherwise known as the slacker's row, the one in the very back.

And Nara Shikamaru was sitting right next to me.

Oh fuck me.

"Good morning class." Iruka-sensei smiled, nodding to everyone somewhat awkwardly as we responded collectively in kind. "As you may remember me from the end of last year, I'm your new teacher. Due to the death of Nishimura-sensei last year, I hope you all will treat me well, and I hope to be just as good a teacher as he was."

Everyone, predictably, seemed to already know this, and nodded politely.

I, on the other hand, barely contained a wince at the bluntness of Iruka's comment, and simultaneously braced myself for what I (hope wouldn't happen) knew what was going to happen.

"Class, we have a new student who has transferred up two grades." Iruka looked over to me, nodding with a smile, while I bit back the fear rising in my chest. "Would you please introduce yourself, Lee-chan?"

I stood and shoved my hands into the giant pocket on the front of my sweater, hands closing around the book inside, and a secure feeling washed over me. Yeah, okay yeah I could do this.

"My name is Chen Lee, please take care of me." I bowed slightly, just as Lee had taught me, and was about to sit down when a loud yell rang out.

"HEY!" Someone across the room shouted, and I looked over to see...oh fuck. "YOU'RE CANDY GIRL!"

...what.

Why was Uzumaki Naruto calling her candy girl, and how did he-

oh

 **OH**

OH GOD I'M SO DENSE OH GOD

HOW HAD I NOT NOTICED I WAS IN DAYCARE WITH UZUMAKI NARUTO FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS?

"What do you mean candy girl?" Someone asked, and my face flushed deep scarlet as I froze.

"She's got candy in those pockets!" Naruto shouted, and I felt my face get even hotter.

"Wh-DON'T CALL ME SOME WHORE'S CODE NAME YOU SHITTY BLONDE!" I shouted instinctively, wrapping my arms around my body while taking a step back, arms flying around as I yelled.

Oh good now I'm dying inside.

 _This is still your fault, you know._

 **Shut the fuck up Cortex nobody asked you.**

Naruto spluttered, and I resisted the urge to pummel his ass, but only barely.

"NARUTO SIT DOWN!" Iruka sensei yelled, and I had a small, gleaming moment of triumph before he turned to me. "YOU TOO CHEN!"

Oh shit he's pissed.

I nodded meekly, and sat down, burying my face in my hands, face still on fire.

This day couldn't get any worse.

* * *

Correction: the day got worse.

The first half of the school day passed relatively normally, aside from Naruto sending fierce glares my way, along with the other student, who I'd embarrassed this morning. I was either getting completely ignored, glared at, or otherwise being stared at, it seemed.

Thankfully lunch break came, and after bluntly refusing to play some idiotic game of ninja, I set my sights on a tree that was heavily branched, and full of leaves.

I walked straight up to it, looked at the bark with a critical eye, and pushed one foot up onto the bark. It took a couple of times to get it right, but eventually I figured out how to adjust my chakra output for the shoes I was wearing. It was easy to clutch onto my bento box with my teeth, and climb up into the branches of the tree.

"Stupid Naruto." I hissed as I sat cross-legged in the tree, pulling out candy from my pocket.

Sure I kept candy and snacks on me to consume like a beast, and sure I had pockets sewn on the inside of my parka for that very reason, but it was pretty stupid. I sighed, and threw the candy into my mouth, glaring at the branch in front of me.

There was a sigh from below me, and I looked to the base of the tree to see Naruto sitting there, staring off into the distance. I followed his line of sight, to see the kids playing ninja. I looked back down to Naruto, without any lunch, and felt my will deteriorating by the minute. I looked back to my food (too much, as Lee had a habit of packing too much food), then back to Naruto, before sighing.

"Hey, Naruto." I said, looking down at Naruto, who jumped.

"Who said that?!"

"Up here, dummy." I rolled my eyes as Naruto looked up at me.

"Wh-what the?! Candy girl?!"

"Don't call me that!" I hissed, face flushing as threw a chopstick at him. "Anyway, get up here."

"Shut up!" Naruto hissed back, before looking up. "Uh...but how?"

Oh, right.

He didn't know how to tree-walk yet, and there weren't many branches available.

"You can't tree walk. Damnit." I sighed, running my hand over my face before thinking for a moment. "Alright just- hang on."

I sighed in defeat, clambering back down the tree, bento box in hand, to stand in front of Naruto.

"Look - my brother packs me too much food, and you don't have anything, so have some of mine."

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me - you can have some of my food." I shrugged, sitting on the ground. "Just don't be gross about it - AND you have to stop calling me Candy Girl."

"Fine, but I want candy too." Naruto demanded, sitting down.

"You drive a hard bargain, but here." I replied, digging out a piece of chocolate bar I had leftover, as well as a couple of wrapped chocolates. "Th' name's Chen, by the way."

"I'm Naruto! I'm gonna be Hokage one day, believe it!" He beamed, snatching the candy from my hand, and I laughed (snorted) at his antics.

"Alright kid, but don't eat all the rice, it's my favorite."

* * *

By the time that physical activity rolled around, I was feeling strangely optimistic.

I'd been having an alright day, nothing too bad, and I had befriended Naruto (sort of, I think?), which, if all else failed, would grant me at least the start of a support network that would eventually save me from damn near anything. Plus, if you were friends with Naruto, you were guaranteed that he would do damn near anything to help.

But then Iruka-sensei told us it was time to get outside and do laps, which really sucked.

I'd barely made three laps by the time I had to quit - I couldn't do the whole ten, and Iruka nodded sympathetically before letting me sit out. I just had to do stretching instead, but it made me look inferior, something one of the other kids commented on when they thought I couldn't hear them.

Damn my vulcan hearing.

Once warm-ups were over, we began Hell Training™.

By which I mean sparring.

Thanks to it being the first day, we were put through a tournament of sorts, where we fought against each other for rankings. It was completely random, and we would do this for the first couple of weeks to determine standings, and promote a good attitude towards sparring.

It did the complete opposite for me.

I was immediately paired up with Hinata, and knew I was immediately fucked.

We weren't allowed to use chakra against each other (so she couldn't hit my tenketsu), and it was "first solid hit" only. I'd lined up with her, made the seal of confrontation, waiting, mulling over what I would do, before nearly missing the beginning of the match. I had come in low for a leg-sweep feint, and an uppercut to the jaw. But, as fate always had it, I was horribly outclassed, and Hinata was much faster.

I went down within five seconds, a kick to my jaw that sent me flying away with the impact.

The next moments were a blur, and I'll admit that I had no idea what happened. One moment I saw a kick coming in from low, the next I felt air, and the next I was staring at Iruka and Hinata. The two were worried, and then I was being guided down the hallways to the nurse's office.

I remember laying down for a minute, then waking up an hour later, right as school ended.

Hinata was shuffling to my side, my bag in her hands as she held it out to me.

"I-I'm s-sorry for, um, hurting you." She mumbled, and I felt my heart melt.

God what a precious cinnamon roll, too sweet, too pure for this world.

"It's uh, it's alright. It was my first spar, so I didn't uh, really know what I was doing." I admitted, rubbing the back of my head. "Plus, you're a Hyuga right?"

"Um, y-yes."

"Yeah, see - you're just trained in taijutsu at home, I bet. You're just better than I am currently, no need to worry." I grinned, patting her arm.

Hinata just kinda...stood there, uncomfortably.

"Ah, well I gotta get outta here." I laughed just as uncomfortable as Hinata looked. "I've got to meet with someone. You heading home?"

At her nod, I stood up, and motioned for her to follow me, pulling my bag on and moving my hair.

"Walk with me?" I asked, smiling as Hinata nodded timidly, and we walked in relative silence to the front gate.

I said goodbye to Hinata, telling her I'd see her tomorrow, and she nodded back shyly. God what a precious child.

Once I had said goodbye, I sat on the swing outside the school, and waited for my new teacher.

It took so long, waiting for her, that I pulled out a book and began to read to pass the time. All I had was a manga about a samurai who used ghosts to fight other samurai, kind of like some switched up Shaman King knock-off. It was decent, all things considered, but I read it three times before my teacher showed up.

Long, dark hair, the bandage-looking dress, and red eyes.

"Hello, you must be Chen." She said warmly, smiling at me. "I'm Yuhi Kurenai, your new teacher."

Ah fuck.

* * *

AN: ah yes, double update

the reason is because I had a surprise night on the computer, and I had sixteen and seventeen mostly typed up/finalized anyway lol. Just took me an hour to get both of em out and stuff lol.

Anyway, kids become friends so goddamn easy jesus christ. I have seen kids who never met each other go "i like your hair we're friends now"

why do i bring this up?

because my little brother did that today lol

anyway, thanks for reading and to everyone who reviewed!

 **Chapter 18**

Kurenai, it seemed, was not one for leaping into training.

I thanked my stars that she wasn't, of course - but I had sort of been wanting to learn something. Well, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit, I suppose.

I picked at the grass below me as I waited for Kurenai to return with our snack - her insistence, of course. She'd heard my stomach rumble (I was pretty hungry - Naruto ate most of my lunch) and had immediately asked if I was hungry. Despite my insistence that I'd be fine, I'd just pick some food up on the way home, she'd decided to buy snacks for the two of us.

I wasn't even allowed to pay for it.

It was really embarrassing.

Either way, she'd ushered me off to the park, where I was now sitting, waiting for her to return.

I looked up just in time to see Kurenai return, this time with a bowl of curry rice in one hand, and a roasted squid stick in the other (I couldn't remember what it was called...shit.). I felt my mouth beginning to water at the smell, and I barely paused to thank her for the food before snatching the curry rice from her hands.

Well, I sure was hungrier than I thought.

"So, Chen-Chan, how was your first day of school?" Kurenai prodded, and I shrugged, swallowing my bite.

"It wasn't terrible." I took another quick bite while shrugging. "I met a couple of people who were nice, though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah - there's this blonde kid I knew from daycare, Naruto I think?" I said nonchalantly, measuring her expression. "He's kinda an asshole, but he's sweet. He's rowdy, and rude, but he's pretty lonely, I think. The other kids were being mean to him, and I think someone ruined his lunch because he didn't have one."

"Language." Kurenai chastised lightly, and I flushed beet red. Oops. "And is that why you're hungry? Did you share your lunch with Naruto-kun?"

"Well, yeah. He didn't have anything, and I think Aniki wanted me to share food with friends, because he packed a bit more than usual, so I let him go crazy." I wrinkled my nose, and sighed. "He eats a lot though."

Kurenai grinned sweetly, a small laugh bubbling from her lips.

Oh holy shit that was cute.

"That's very kind of you, either way."

"How was your day?" I asked, taking another bite of curry rice.

"It wasn't bad - I spent most of it tending to my garden, and cleaning up my apartment." She said, taking a bite of her squid.

"You have a garden?"

"Yes - it's small, but I like to grow flowers."

"You do seem like the type." I nodded, taking a drink from my water bottle. "Plants are nice, though. It feels good to watch something grow from nothing, too."

Kurenai nodded, and we ate in silence, but one that wasn't too uncomfortable, actually. After we were finished I took the garbage and tossed it into a trash bin, before returning and sitting down.

"So, Chen-chan." Kurenai began, smiling. "I thought today we would spend our time getting to know one another - that way we know what we're going to be working on."

"Alright, that sounds good!" I nodded, smiling. "Uh, how uhm, do you wanna start then?"

"Well, why don't you start by telling me your likes, dislikes, and your dreams?"

"Ah, well, I like good food, sleeping, spending time by myself reading or relaxing, and I really really love my brother. He's amazing!" I grinned, ignoring the heat on my cheeks. "I don't like it when people are mean to others for no reason, I don't particularly like fighting because I don't like hurting people, and I don't like overly spicy foods, but I'm not too terribly picky."

"My dreams are..." I bit my lip, thinking for a moment. "Well, I want to be someone that people can rely on, and...and I want to protect my brother and my family. I also kind of want to go into infiltration, as my specialty."

Kurenai simply grinned, and I felt myself flush even more.

"Uhm, well, what about you?" I asked nervously, looking down at my hands.

"I like plants, gardening, and grilled octopus. As for my dislikes, I don't particularly like liars, I also don't particularly like fighting either, and I don't like cake. My dreams are to protect those precious to me, and I want to further my abilities in genjutsu."

I felt my chest constrict a tad at the mention of liars, but carefully kept it off of my face.

"You said you wanted to specialize in infiltration, right?" Kurenai turned to me, curious.

"Ah, yeah. I don't particularly want to be in a fight - I'm not really built for taking hits - it runs in my clan - but my brother and I are built for speed. I'm not really into fighting unless it's for a spar or I have to, anyway, and I would be a lot more open to assassination, considering I wouldn't have to duke it out."

"Oh uhm...sorry, I'm rambling again." I flushed, looking down.

"No, that's quite alright." Kurenai reassured me, patting my shoulder. "We can work with that. I'll be teaching you genjutsu anyway, but we can put a primary focus on stealth and genjutsu, as well as speed and precision."

Kurenai seemed to be talking to herself at this point, formulating a lesson plan in her head.

...why was I getting the feeling that this was going to take forever?

* * *

AN: Okay so this chapter just would not get written for me lmao

anyway: got a review on this and it honestly never crossed my mind but - i'll start putting quick author's notes down if i update multiple times in a day, so that way nobody forgets to read a chapter! I never know if I'm going to write enough to update multiple times a day until it happens, so I'll adjust chapters as needed for this when it does lol

 **Chapter 19**

AN: Holy shit everyone! Everything about this fic is the best I've ever done. The reviews are the highest I've ever gotten, the favorites, follows, and even the views are the most i've ever gotten. I'm super emotional over this, thank you everyone for supporting this fic! It really means a lot to me, especially since this fic is the first I've ever gotten anywhere with, and the first fic I've been prepared to go into. So like I said, thank you everyone! Review responses are after the chapter.

Also as a note, I'd really love constructive criticism! (I'm not emotionally prepared to immediately answer - which is nothing on any of you! It's just my own personal issues! So if I don't immediately reply to your criticism, please don't take it to heart! I'm just emotionally preparing myself to be reasonable without being rude! I really do appreciate feedback, whether or not I use it, I do appreciate it!)

* * *

When I returned home that evening, I immediately took a nap until Lee came home an hour later.

Once we were sat down for dinner, Lee immediately began the interrogation.

"So how was your first day of school? Did you make friends? Did you learn a bunch of cool new things?" He demanded between bites of food, eyes sparkling excitedly.

"Well, it wasn't bad - a tad boring, but it was alright." I shrugged, before smiling sheepishly. "I did make a new friend, though."

"Who?! I must know who my cutest sister has made friends with!" Lee gasped, leaping up from his seat to pick me up, practically bouncing up and down, which made me laugh.

"A-Aniki s-stop!" I laughed, smiling as he held me above his head.

"No! My most darling sister has made a new friend! Just as I thought she would!" He cheered, but settled down after the tenant a floor below us started smacking the ceiling of their apartment while shouting at us to keep it down.

"Well, his name is Naruto and he's really nice." I said sheepishly, taking a bite of my food. "He's really headstrong and stubborn, and I apparently went to daycare with him - I never noticed, but he called me 'candy girl' like jeez that's annoying."

"But you're sweet like candy!" Lee objected, obviously not making any sort of connection.

I just didn't have the heart to ruin his pure innocent mind.

"W-well it's just embarrassing, being called stuff like that, yknow?" I said, trying not to blush. "But yeah, he uhm, he didn't have a lunch, so I shared with him. He's pretty cool though - he wants to become the Hokage one day, and...well he's kinda stubborn, and rude, and loud..."

Lee frowned at that, knowing my problem with volume.

"But! He's also very nice, and he gives off the vibe that if you're his friend, he'll do dam-dang near anything to help you out. I think he's lonely." I finished, shrugging.

"Well, any friend of my sister's is a friend of mine!" Lee cheered, throwing a fist into the air. "I will make more food for you in the morning so that you two can share!"

I let a large smile grow, and stood up, hugging my brother.

"You're the best."

[line]

Despite the fact that training was taking forever, time passed relatively quickly.

School was mostly the same all around - I went to class, did whatever I wanted so long as I wasn't disturbing others while they were learning, ate lunch with Naruto, and went about the rest of the day in the same manner. Kunoichi classes were every other day, but would pick up slowly in later years to the point where we would have them every day, and the length would increase from an hour to two, while the lessons we learned would slowly become more extensive. Then it was time for training with Kurenai, then I went home, and trained with Lee.

Training with Kurenai was tough, because she was hell-bent on making me exhaust myself while learning.

We were focused on genjutsu most of the time - which I fucking _sucked_ at by the way - and when it wasn't genjutsu, we focused on chakra control.

Since I already knew tree/wall walking, Kurenai decided that water walking would be the next step, which went just as well as I thought it would, considering I didn't really know how to swim that well, and we practiced on the river.

At least the training gave me an excuse to avoid everyone I came into contact with during school. I didn't really want to talk with these people (Naruto was a welcome exception, partially because he was so...well, _Naruto_ ), and if I didn't have to associate with them I wouldn't. I was content with only hanging around Naruto (lord knew he needed friends) and my brother, as well as Kurenai if I had to. I didn't really need a social life, or a bunch of disturbances that were also known as children.

I just didn't.

[line]

Despite not really wanting to spend time with a bunch of other people, I often found myself going along with whatever Naruto wanted to do.

Naruto was typically the driving force in our friendship - I didn't really care what we did, honestly, so long as it wasn't deadly or otherwise dangerous. Sneaking out of class or recess (it wasn't called recess but whatever) was something I was often reluctant to do, but Naruto usually made sure we didn't get caught, or that we were back on time.

Most of the time we shared lunch, and I helped him with his studies when he needed it.

Which was to say, all of the time.

He was dead last for a reason, after all.

I had a theory on _why_ he was doing so poorly, of course, but without any books (or scrolls) on various conditions, I wouldn't know. I was never a master (or even a novice) on ADHD or Dyslexia, to which I thought he might have one, but I had no idea otherwise. I mean, it could also be that he just was a purely hands on learner! I had no idea!

Either way, often times I was forced to explain with figurines or by dulling things down a bit, using objects or physical lessons and not using a bunch of fancy terminology.

(Well, truthfully I really enjoyed it - it reminded me of explaining things to my little brother, and I did enjoy the challenge a bit. I'd always liked explaining things, and I kinda wanted to be a teacher when I was older. Plus, it was kinda like practice for explaining things to Lee, who had a similar learning style.)

But when the two of us weren't playing some sort of game (I was teaching him chess as a pass time, but with ninja equivalent titles - he wasn't great but he was learning), or studying, we often found ourselves in the company of the other slackers.

Shikamaru picked up chess rather quickly, though he grew bored of it real quick, and Choji just liked everyone pooling food together to eat. Kiba was mostly there because he didn't want to be all alone, and he liked the large group I think. (Admittedly, I really loved it when he was around because he was one of my favorite characters (who I had a crush on in another life), he was an adorable kid and actually pretty funny, and also I just...really liked Akamaru. Akamaru was so fluffy and cuddly, and I love animals, even if emotionally I can't care for them properly.)

It was nice, although I didn't particularly enjoy it all of the time - Shikamaru often just laid back after eating and slept, so he was pretty boring when he wasn't involved in the conversation or playing chess with me. Naruto was always loud and kinda obnoxious - if you didn't pay attention to him he got rowdy and annoying (defense mechanism, I know, but still). Kiba was just...always kinda loud and he and Naruto picked fights more often than I'd like to admit.

Usually when we got together without a plan, it ended with Shikamaru sleeping, Kiba and Naruto fighting, and me and Choji awkwardly trying to keep a conversation. (Which usually revolved around food, come to think of it.)

It was on one such day that we all snuck out together for the first time.

[line]

"Mm? Chen, where's your lunch?" Naruto asked, confused as I sat down.

"Huh?" I looked up at him, blinking in confusion. "Oh! Oh, sorry I was doing that thing I do. I forgot lunch this morning - my brother left early to get some extra training in. His class has physical exams today, and he's top of his class."

Yes, I was a smug sister, sue me.

"And?"

"Oh, uh, well I was running late because I accidentally fell asleep this morning, after sitting down on the couch for a bit." I admitted, a blush rising to my face after having gotten so sidetracked. "Since no one was there to wake me up, I fell back asleep and since I was really late, I forgot to grab lunch."

Wow good going Al-Chen. Good going, you rambled on like an idiot.

"Ah alright." Naruto nodded sagely, before his stomach growled loudly at the sight of Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji eating their lunches.

"Ichiraku's?" I sighed at the look Naruto gave me, which was a mix of pleading, "I don't wanna bother you" and "god I'm fucking starving".

"Yes!" Naruto cheered, quickly gathering up our bags. "Let's go let's go let's go!"

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me (this weird snorting/actual laugh that I had in both lives) at the sight of Naruto running over to the spot in the fence we usually snuck out of, and bouncing from foot to foot as he waited.

He was even carrying my bag, how sweet.

"Well, are you guys gonna sit there or are you coming along?!" Naruto shouted as I crawled through the fence, backing up to give whoever crawled through next space.

I inwardly groaned - why did he have to invite people I couldn't really read that easily? At least with Naruto he was always up front with his emotions, and I didn't have to worry about so many new friends, I mean, I already _have_ frien-

I breathed deeply through my nose and bit my lip, forcing back the tears.

No, you are going to get good food, have a good time with Naruto and the others, and you are going to live here and now.

I composed myself just in time to see Kiba duck through the hole in the fence (that, okay, _maybe_ Naruto had made but still).

"Oh? Didn't chicken out then, did you?" I grinned, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Shut up!" He yelled, flushing a bright red just as Choji and Shikamaru joined us, Naruto following behind them.

Other than my comment, I spent the walk to Ichiraku's in relative silence, since I didn't really have much to say. Naruto and Kiba continued to bicker, but Choji talked to Shikamaru a little, but otherwise he was silent. We got a couple of weird stares from civilians, but I didn't really expect any less considering there were five weirdly dressed kids, three of which were clan kids, one was a jinchuriki, and one was a six year old. (Who had only been in the academy for three months...)

Generally, however, the looks we got were of disdain, and primarily aimed towards Naruto. He pretended not to take notice, but I saw the small droop in his shoulders, the hesitation in his eyes. He didn't really outwardly show it, but I was looking for it, so I did see it. I wanted to scream at these people, how the _fuck_ do you decide to be cruel to a _child_?

I forced myself to bite my tongue and swallow my pride, just as I was used to. I breathed lowly through my mouth, and felt my muscles tense in anger, though I did my damnedest not to show it.

"Naruto." I poked said child in his side, jerking my head towards the side road we'd taken a couple of times before. "Scenic route."

I shrugged at the confused looks I got from the other three, and padded down the side road.

At least we were out of prying eyes.

The walk to Ichiraku's was otherwise uneventful, and I felt my anger melt away when I pulled myself up onto a stool, Naruto sitting directly next to me, Kiba after him, then Choji, then Shikamaru.

"Well, if it isn't my best customer, and my second best customer." Teuchi smiled at me and Naruto, and I grinned back.

"Hello Teuchi-san." I grinned, setting my arms on the counter, at the same time Naruto replied "hey Teuchi!"

"Who are your friends here?" Ayame asked from behind her father, turning around to look at us.

"I'm Kiba, and this is Akamaru."

"I'm Choji, miss."

"Shikamaru."

"They're our friends from school!" Naruto grinned, throwing his arms in the air.

"Oh? And are you six supposed to be in school right now?" Teuchi grinned slyly, and I flushed, looking down in embarrassment.

"Well, _yeah_ but Chen here forgot her lunch! So we just _had_ to come here to eat!" Naruto whined, and I smacked his arm in embarrassment.

"Naruto! It was your idea!" I hissed, flushing even deeper scarlet.

"Well, if that's the case, what can I get for you?" Teuchi laughed, giving a grin. "So long as I'm not held accountable for your disappearance, that is."

"Of course not Teuchi-san!" Naruto grinned smugly. "I wouldn't get caught anyway."

"Says the one who got caught cheating on their test this morning." Kiba mumbled, to which Naruto flushed deep red and let out a squawking sound.

"The usual, Chen?" Ayame asked as Teuchi chuckled at the others, and I nodded.

"I didn't know the answers to the test!" Naruto flushed, and I sighed.

"Naruto that's not helping. And besides, if you wanted to know the answers, you should have just cheated harder." I sighed, before he looked at me in confusion. "Naruto you wouldn't have gotten in trouble if you hadn't gotten caught - if you'd just been sneakier you could have been fine."

"Wait, what?!"

Oh dear lord this boy.

"Naruto, you have to be sneakier than that - if you'd just aimed for barely passing that test, you wouldn't have been caught." I explained, patiently waiting until everyone had ordered.

"Wait, are you serious?!" Naruto screamed, placing his hands on either side of his head and bending backwards. Wow this kid is expressive. "Wait - how do you know this?"

"Because I'm thinking of specializing in infiltration, duh." I answered, rolling my eyes as Teuchi set down a bowl of Shoyu ramen in front of me. "Thank you, Teuchi-san, Ayame-san."

I thanked the two for my meal, before digging in. (Thank goodness Naruto was blunt enough to tell them I liked beef better than chicken, because I felt really guilty the first few times I ate here, since it was usually served with chicken or seafood.)

"Specializing?"

"Naruto, did you not know about specializations?" Kiba asked, dumbfounded as he looked at Naruto.

"Oh my god you didn't - Naruto did nobody ever explain this to you?" I asked, confused.

"I want to be the Hokage, so that's what I'm specializing in!" He squeaked/yelled, flushing bright red, even moreso than before.

"No- Naruto, these are two different things." I explained, suddenly very concerned. Jesus was nobody explaining _anything_ to him? "Naruto, when you're a ninja, you specialize in a specific art, like Taijutsu, or Genjutsu, or some people will specialize in much narrower categories, like assassination or infiltration."

"There's a lot of different things to specialize in, like Ninjutsu, or my clan typically specializes in tracking." Kiba explained around a mouth full of food. "I'm going to be specializing in tracking, but I'm aiming to be a ninjutsu specialist as another specialization."

"I'm focusing on my clan's jutsu, and I'm going to be a specialist in it, like my dad." Choji was stuffing his mouth as he said it, close to a second bowl already.

"And you, Shikamaru-kun?" I asked, leaning around the others to look at said boy.

"T and I, like most of my clan." He shrugged. "Probably tactics and information retrieval."

"That's pretty cool actually." I admitted, nodding at the others. "I'm hoping to be infiltration, maybe assassination? I'm not okay with messy kills, plus my clan is built for speed."

"Wait you're a clan kid?" Kiba asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Small clan - my brother and I are the only ninja. We're mostly courriers or merchants, admittedly." I shrugged, brushing the comment off. "Anyway, there are a couple things you could specialize in with ease, Naruto."

"Like what?"

"Well, for starters, to specialize you have to show up to class on time."

Uh.

I slowly turned around to see Iruka-sensei standing there, a barely-restrained look of anger on his face.

"Oh shit."

[Line]

I sighed and rubbed at my face as I looked at the bucket of soapy water, and the mysterious stain on the ceiling.

"How the fuck did that even get up there?" I asked, utterly confused. "What even _is_ that?"

"I don't know but get to cleaning! I don't wanna be here forever!" Kiba complained as he mopped the floors.

"Oh shut up dog breath." I muttered, and thought about what to do for a minute.

"Hey!"

I sighed and contemplated what to do for a minute - I couldn't hold myself up on the ceiling while trying to keep the bucket of soapy water upright. I also couldn't make too many trips up and down or I wouldn't be able to continue.

Oh christ I'm an idiot.

"Hey Naruto!" I called, climbing on top of the table and setting the water down.

"What?"

"I want you to stand on this table and hold the water up when I need it, please."

I spared no time waiting for him, and instead scampered over to the wall and climbed up it, sponge in hand. I hung on the ceiling and had Naruto raise the bucket of water up for me.

It wasn't hard from there - I made quick work of the stain, with Naruto's help, and then hopped down. It didn't take long to help Naruto finish scrubbing the desks clean, then from there it was even easier to help Kiba clean the floor, and then the three of us helped Shikamaru and Choji sharpen kunai in the storage room, and organize materials.

At least I didn't have kunoichi classes, because it took almost an hour to get everything done so we could go home.

Things just kept escalating, didn't they?

* * *

Review Responses:

 **Guest** : Thank you so much for the feedback! I do understand that the chapters are a bit short, which is something I'm currently working on. I tend to make smaller chapters because of my own personal issues with writing (writing for too long or too much will burn me out too quickly) so it helps if I feel like I'm starting fresh, getting a new topic, and I'm raring to go! So like I said, I'm getting better over time, but I will take this into consideration while writing chapters for sure! Perhaps I'll start a new chapter, get through a couple, then go back and edit?

I'll see if I can figure something out for sure, that doesn't compromise me and writing!

Also if you're not too bothered, I'd love it if you could help me out with the wording? I'm not sure where it reflects for other fics, so it would really mean a lot if you could point it out! I'm not trying to do this intentionally, so if you could help point it out I'll find it easier to see when I'm doing it, and hopefully adjust my writing to be more different! I'm sure that what I'm doing is subconsciously integrating different styles of writing into my own,

Overall, thank you very much for the feedback, and I'll try to implement it as much as I can!

 **Warning:** Thank you for warning me about the summary! It has been adjusting accordingly to fit the K rating.

 **Chapter 20**

AN: Wow I think this is the longest chapter so far! Anywho, I started up a Tracing Footsteps blog!

It's basically just incentive for me to remember to update. But! You can go on over, anon asks are on, and ask anything! I'll be posting drabbles over there (ones that I wouldn't use in a side story, due to short length, but still wanna post), and sneak peaks to chapters! it's **tracingfootstepsfanfic . tumblr . com**

(just get rid of the spaces lol)

Anyway, thank you to everyone for your support!

* * *

Things were good, for awhile.

Despite the incident in which I gained a new piece of "jewelry" (a simple metal whistle on a leather cord, courtesy of Lee), nothing out of the ordinary really happened.

I went to school, trained off and on with Kurenai (who had began experiencing an increase in missions, due to the Week of Fire that was rapidly approaching), and hung out with Naruto when I was free. Summer was approaching quickly, so most of the time we would grab popsicles (thank FUCK this world had popsicles because holy shit I would have lost my shit) and hide out in the shade. It usually ended with us playing games or reading.

(Naruto literally only read manga, which granted I didn't blame him for, but jesus christ he didn't read actual books for shit. Really the only time he would, was when I was reading and he wanted me to read it out loud to him. Which was pretty rare, unless I found a really cool adventure or action book.)

Due to Summer rapidly approaching, and Iruka-sensei was cracking down on lessons, trying to rapidly teach anything that wasn't covered yet so he could assign Summer homework. It was irritating overall because one, I had to do summer homework, and two, I couldn't goof off because I actually didn't know some stuff (like the chakra system, or the specifics of the history). Kunoichi classes were roughly the same - we were expected to write down a page of observations on civilians in town and the differences between ninja and civilians in ordinary life.

The worst part was that, where previously I could have just spaced out (because I already knew the material) and had Cortex take over auditory processing in case there was something I was missing, I couldn't do that. I had to actually pay attention, or things wouldn't be cataloged in my memory properly, since it wasn't really "me" processing things. Well _I_ was processing things I just...wasn't...? Ugh, hard to explain properly.

Well, either way, the days passed by excruciatingly slowly, so much so that I often found myself falling asleep mid-lecture.

(Which wasn't uncommon for me, actually, but still.)

Children's day came and went, and Lee and I celebrated by going out for dinner, where we got free dessert due to our age. While Children's day was mostly a civilian holiday (ninjas didn't exactly like parading around who lived in what house, how many of them lived there, and the gender of the people there. It kinda defeats the whole privacy deal), we had a tradition of celebrating every year in the same way.

We didn't actually celebrate many holidays, in all honesty.

Ninjas didn't tend to celebrate traditional holidays (with the exception of October 10th, and the memorial day, and of course, certain days in the Week of Fire), and instead just celebrated events with comrades. Celebrations were common among teams and groups of friends when coming home from dangerous missions, to mark occasions like birthdays, death dates, or missions that happened in the past, but were monumental for a group. Ninjas celebrated occasions that couldn't be traced quite as easily, so that they wouldn't be able to be predictable in their movements.

Civilians, on the other hand, had no qualms about sticking to holidays marked on calendars - festivals were common in the civilian districts, and while ninjas could attend, it was far less common than one would think. There were a lot of civilian holidays, actually, and it wasn't uncommon to see someone setting up their business for a festival, or organizing decorations. Civilians were forced to give a warning to the Hokage before they lit any fireworks (if they were allowed to, that is), so that ninjas wouldn't flip the fuck out. Civilians also had apparently learned to put up signs forbidding chakra use (or ninjas altogether) in the festival games.

Or, at least, that's what Inoue-Sensei taught us, in one of our culture classes.

I was fascinated by the differences in culture even right here at home, considering the fact that ninjas an civilians interacted on a daily basis (or rather, hourly - there was no way to completely avoid civilians in Konoha). The fact that ninjas had so many unsaid rules and nuances, in comparison to the civilian, well, normal rules.

Ninjas were far more skittish, particularly the higher up in rank you got.

Genin were generally very oblivious when they were straight from the academy, but eventually grew to be somewhat wary (though altogether too trusting, and had they been targets of assassination, they would have died easily). Once you hit Chunin, ninjas started getting more skeptical, then once you were jonin or special jonin level, the ninja in question typically grew so paranoid that it was borderline ridiculous. Like, there were Jonin who would never give an exact time as to when they'd show up, so they wouldn't be able to be predicted, or there were jonin who absolutely refused to eat anywhere they couldn't watch the food be prepared, or use poison-test strips.

It was almost mind-boggling, the amount of skepticism in the ninja world.

Granted, it was warranted, but still, it was fucking fascinating.

* * *

"Naruto, where do you live?"

"Huh?"

I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face.

"Well, I want to be able to visit you during the summer, and if I don't know where you live, how will I know where to go?" I asked, scooting back closer to the tree, thus further in its shade.

"O-Oh. Well, uh, I live near the Akimichi district, in the genin apartments there." He answered, blinking at me in shock.

"The Akimichi district?" I mumbled under my breath, attempting to put it to a map.

 _That's over near the main road, if you're heading out of the village from the Hokage tower, it's on the left. We're in the general vicinity, but closer to the cemetery, remember?_

 **...No**

"Er, do you think you could just show me after school?" I asked, confused. "I'm uh, not great with directions. Plus you'd have to show me your apartment complex and apartment number, so I knew where to go."

"Oh, uh...sure!" Naruto brightened up, grinning from ear to ear. "We can hang out at my place for awhile!"

"Yeah!" I grinned back, before pausing. "Oh wait though - I have to ask my brother before I can go."

"So?" Naruto seemed confused and I felt a familiar nervousness bubble in my gut.

"Well, uh...my brother is... well I mean..." I coughed awkwardly, wincing at myself. "He's very...enthusiastic, and um, he's kinda..weird."

"What do you mean weird?" Naruto asked, and I winced again.

"Er, well, you'll see. Just...I love him a lot, so don't be mean okay?"

"Alright." Naruto shrugged, confused.

The rest of the day passed in the same manner it always did.

Slowly.

* * *

 **Okay, let's see...how about Kiba?**

 _No, he would be a poor choice, he's very mouthy and loud, and has poor anger control, as he is incredibly easy to bait, but he would be a poor match-up. You aren't built for hand-to-hand combat._

 **True, true.**

 _Although it's really obvious, any of those civilian-born fangirls - and some of the ninja born, of course - would be easy to defeat, especially if you use chakra. You're not allowed to, of course, but using chakra to speed yourself up, then ground your feet at the right moment and_ push _would have quite the effect._

 **Well, yeah I know how to beat them pretty easily - I'm just lazy and don't want to. What about the others?**

 _The Yamanaka girl is likely trained - she's a clan child - so she's definitely a no. Sakura is poor in taijutsu itself, but has the katas memorized, and when she grows, she'll be even more dangerous if she can recognize the forms as they're being used._

 **Oh I'd never thought of that.**

 _Yes well, you are simple sometimes..._

 **Shut up Cortex.**

I bit back a sigh as I ignored Cortex's gloating, returning to my writing.

I was compiling a list of students in the class, and writing down everything I could figure out about them. (Or already knew, due to my knowledge of canon.)

This way, I could figure out their current skill level, and remind myself of what I should or shouldn't know.

As an example - Kiba was only now beginning the more practical Inuzuka Clan training (as in, learning how to fight in tandem with Akamaru), or Ino was beginning the next phases of _her_ clan training, and Shikamaru was doing the same, as well as Choji.

It was nice to know what I should and shouldn't know, especially since I was forced to interact with these people.

"Alright everyone, have a good day and remember that we're going to be sparring tomorrow!" Iruka-sensei reminded us, and I snapped out of my thoughts.

"C'mon Chen c'mon!" Naruto whined from beside me as I put my things in my bag. "Let's go!"

"Alright, alright!" I laughed, swinging my bag over my shoulder and leaving the room with Naruto. "Aniki is a year ahead of us, and he has Class 2-A. But he'll be out in the training yard in a few minutes, so we'll wait for him there."

"Why?" Naruto asked, confused, but following me out of the school and into the training yard in the back.

"Well, he's training," I explained, shrugging. "He usually works on taijutsu for awhile, before he comes home."

Naruto seemed confused, but followed anyway.

Just like I had predicted, we didn't have to wait long before Lee walked out of the academy, a determined look on his face. He dropped his bag right next to his bag, and stretched.

"Aniki!" I called, running towards him. "Aniki Aniki Aniki!"

Lee turned around to look at me, a little shocked, but caught me in his arms as I jumped into them.

"Chen!" He grinned, setting me on his hip. "Have you come to watch your excellent brother conquer this training log?"

Lee's chest swelled with pride, before he gasped, looking excited.

"Or, could it be that you wanted to train WITH me?"

"Not today Aniki!" I grinned, patting his slightly pouting face. "I wanted to introduce you to my friend, Naruto! Naruto, c'mere!"

Naruto trudged over, a slightly nervous expression on his face as he kicked at the dirt.

"You're Naruto?" Lee asked, blinking as he set me down. "It is a great pleasure to meet my little sister's friend! She has told me a great deal about you! You must be a master at evasion!"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, seeming confused.

"Perhaps you would train with me and my sister some time?" Lee asked, grinning.

"Anikiiiiiii," I groaned, extending the I as far as I could get it to go without being overly annoying. "We'll train later. Besides, you forgot to introduce yourself."

"Oh my!" Lee looked flustered, before bowing to Naruto, an embarrassed look on his face. "I apologize deeply! In penance, I will run three laps around the academy track!"

"L-Aniki, no! In a minute!" I laughed, grabbing Lee by the hand before he could run off. "Let's just start off with introducing yourself?"

"R-right!" Lee nodded, blushing a deep crimson before bowing again, then extending a hand. "My name is Rock Lee, it is a pleasure to meet you, Naruto-san!"

"A-It's nice to meet ya too!" Naruto regained his composure, but seemed downright confused by everything. "Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage, at your service!"

"Aniki, I wanted to ask you something, actually." I intervened, before any more conversation could take place. "Since summer break is coming up, I was hoping to see Naruto's house, so I knew where to go if I wanted to train with him. Would it be okay if I went to his house for awhile?"

"Of course! I'll gladly let you go my dearest sister!" Lee crowed, happy tears springing from his eyes. "Ah! But, Uzumaki-san, will your parents be alright with this?"

Oh good Lee is getting the hang of parenting.

Kinda.

"I, uh, don't have any parents." Naruto said, eyes downcast as he looked at the ground, or anywhere other than our eyes, at that.

"Ah, I apologize Uzumaki-san!" Lee bowed, looking ashamed. "I...Chen and I are on our own as well."

Naruto looked up at that, blinking in astonishment.

"Aniki you aren't doing what I think you're doing are you?" I asked in embarrassment, seeing the look of determination on Lee's face.

"Yes, I am! Uzumaki-san! You must visit my glorious sister and I often!" Lee said proudly, nodding to himself. "You are welcome whenever you feel like it!"

"Anikiiiii..."

"Chen! You must show Naruto our home immediately!" Lee grinned. "Actually, on second thought...please come over for dinner, Naruto-san!"

"Aniki, don't you have training later though? I thought you wouldn't be home for dinner?" I asked, confused.

"Ah! You're right!" I could practically see the exclamation point over Lee's head as he recoiled comically, while Naruto had a look of exasperation on his face. "Well, we shall simply figure out another day for him to come over!"

(Ever since someone started giving him after school lessons and training in Taijutsu, Lee had been staying out later than normal, getting home a little after dinner time whenever he had scheduled training, or sometimes he would get home near bed-time. I had an inkling that a certain Jolly Green Giant was behind this, but I didn't want to pry.)

Lee nodded to himself for a moment, before growing a bit more serious.

"Uzumaki-san, I'm entrusting my sister to you, please take care of her." Lee said seriously, and I blushed, hiding my face in my hands.

"Of course! Nothing's gonna hurt Chen while I'm around!" Naruto grinned, crossing his arms.

"Good! Now, Chen, do you have everything you need?" Lee asked, turning to me and frantically brushing my hair like a mother hen.

(Which was another fun thing Lee did - he was becoming increasingly maternal in nature, fussing over my hair, clothes, and other various things. He wasn't...okay yes he was overprotective, but not overly so. He wasn't possessive like "you can't do anything without me knowing every second of the day". It was actually kinda nice to have someone fuss over me like that.)

"Yes mother." I teased, smiling as Lee pulled me into a tight hug. "I have my money, so we can get dinner, and I have a change of clothes just in case. If it gets dark, should I wait for you to come get me or should I head home on my own?" I paused, before tacking on "or should I spend the night?"

Lee looked contemplative for a moment, before nodding.

"I think I would prefer for you to spend the night, since I will not be home until late!" He smiled, before pausing. "But, Naruto-san, where do you live?"

"Ah, I live over near the Akimichi district, in the genin apartments there." Naruto said, before giving a more detailed description of his apartment that I spaced out on.

The next minutes passed in a blur as I hugged Lee, reassured him I'd be fine, and then took off for Naruto's apartment.

I just remember passing through the district, Naruto rambling on and on, being rambunctious, and I remember baiting him over something.

Then we actually got into Naruto's apartment.

It was a fucking wreck.

"Naruto what the _fuck_?" I squawked, looking at the garbage and clothes strewn about.

At least the kid had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Okay, no we're-we're cleaning this before I stay in here." I wrinkled my nose in disgust, and began opening the windows. "Okay, Naruto - to you have a clothing basket?"

"Uh...yes! Yes I do." Naruto said, running from the room and returning with a wicker basket that was used to hold clothes.

"Okay, that's a start." I nodded, formulating a plan. "Okay, let's...let's just clear the floor and start going through things, and we can go from there."

Naruto nodded, and began picking up trash, throwing it into a pile.

Oh sweet jesus.

This was going to take awhile.

* * *

As predicted, just gathering up the garbage (and spoiled food) took longer than normal. We got a lot of exercise, however - it took a lot of trips to carry the garbage outside. I even hauled it out through the window a few times, simply to make it easier, but it didn't really help that much, so I abandoned the tactic.

After we'd cleared the garbage, I made Naruto gather all of his dirty clothes and pile them up. He just kinda did laundry on a 'do I need this' basis, which I'd have to rectify. I made him put all of his underwear into the basket first, then sorted the rest on a basis of what he needed immediately. Pants went first, then his shirts, and his jacket would be washed last since he was wearing it.

Once all the clothes were piled up, we went down to the laundry room of the apartment building, and (thankfully) there was a washer open, so I piled a load in, and got it running.

"Okay, so I have a list of what you need for food, and you'll need cleaning supplies, which I know what to get also." I said, holding the list I'd written in one hand, and shoved my money into my pocket with the other. "Naruto, we'll have to make this trip quick, so we can get back before the laundry is done."

"Alright!" He nodded, before taking the lead towards a nearby grocery store. "C'mon the store isn't far."

It wasn't, actually, all that far.

The trip took less than twenty minutes, and we bought a couple different types of cleaning supplies, as well as food. I mainly got things I could make easily, like rice and some instant foods, simply because I knew Naruto couldn't cook very well. I made sure to get him milk, as well as a couple different fruits and vegetables.

Once we got back to the apartment, Naruto began putting things away while I checked on the laundry.

The next few hours settled into a nice rhythm.

In-between cleaning tasks, Naruto or I would go and check the laundry, and if done, we swapped the washer clothes into the dryer, put a load into the washer, and brought up everything from the dryer.

Then we folded or hung up the laundry, then went back to cleaning.

* * *

We finished cleaning at some time just past dinner-time, and instead of making dinner we grabbed take-out from the nearest place, and ate it together in Naruto's (now, finally) clean room. He had a T.V, and so we watched movies and laughed over the antics of the show. We cried over a romantic movie (who knew Naruto liked romantic comedies?), and eventually settled onto the floor, stretching out to just talk.

It was nice.

And then the village alarm system went off.

 **Chapter 21**

Naruto isn't stupid.

He may be shit in a lot of his school subjects, like mathematics and writing, and sure he isn't the best in taijutsu lessons, but he isn't stupid.

Naruto is brilliant with pranks - ingenious with them, really - and he's got an imagination that if harnessed well, could be extremely valuable. He struggles with the little details most of the time, sure, but he's great with the big picture, and when he focuses properly, he's a damn scary enemy. He's unrelenting, passionate, and just downright a strong person, the kind of person that you'd be lucky to have as a friend, and damn _unlucky_ to have as an enemy.

It's hard to actually be his enemy, actually - the kid is so damn persistent and kind that you can't help but at least admit he's a good person. He makes friends relatively easily (or would, had he been a normal kid), and has a tendency to gather broken people around him, inadvertently fixing them in the process.

Naruto is one of the best people I've ever met, in fact.

Even in the short couple years that I've known him, he's been kind, patient in all the ways he needs to be and impatient in the ways he doesn't. He has a temper, but is quick to forgive, and just as likely to hold a grudge as Hatake Kakashi is to waltz around Konoha with his mask off and bright scarlet lipstick on his face. (Which wouldn't match him at all - a pale pink would be far cuter on him. No I haven't been thinking about things like this in my spare time, what are you talking about?)

Naruto is not stupid, not in the slightest.

Oblivious? Yes.

Stupid? No.

That same intelligence and ability to read people that he doesn't even realize he has, is the same ability that instantly condemns me.

"Chen? Are you okay?" Naruto asks as I leap up from the ground, slamming the window shut, the curtains soon following.

"Shut up." I hiss, grabbing onto Naruto, who has now stepped behind me.

I don't bother to look at him, just fumble and slam my hand over his mouth as the alarm tolled, reverberating through the village. I had to wait until it went silent for a moment, then repeated the pattern I'd only read in scrolls.

 _Chunin and below find safety; Do not engage_

 _Special Jonin and above report immediately_

My mouth went dry immediately, and I felt my hands begin to shake, my breath hitching.

"Chen?"

I whipped around to look at Naruto, his wide eyes scanning me rapidly as he held my hand down from his face.

The visual reminder that I was here, with Naruto, in a crisis I couldn't identify (but had a suspicion of what was going on), almost further slammed me into the hazy fog of dissociation. He repeated my name again, and I bit down on my thumb to help ground myself.

 _I could not afford to slip up here._

"I-We need- we need to hide, Naruto." I choked out, eyes whipping wildly around the room as I assessed the situation.

His room had a terrible layout that was perfect for an enemy (I would have to lecture him on that later). There was not only a large window right next to his bed, but also a balcony across from it. His bedroom wasn't a good hiding place, though while it could function for a quick escape, it could also condemn us if we weren't careful, plus we didn't have any weapons.

"Naruto what weapons do you have?" I asked, scrambling for my own pouch to assess what I had.

"Uh- I -I've got training shuriken, and a couple kunai." He quickly showed me the weapons he had, and I nodded, pointedly not looking at the kunai.

"I have some senbon and a few shuriken - they're for training though." I quickly produced a brace of senbon, before tucking them back into my pouch. "Give me your Shuriken, and we'll find some closer weapons for you."

Naruto had piss poor aim although he was in the lower half of the class that was closer to the middle than the bottom, and as such he fared better in taijutsu and close-combat with weaponry (only wooden ones were currently allowed however). I was near the upper-half of the class (a comfortable high middle) and due to my personal lessons with Kurenai, I was slightly better than where I was placed. (I didn't want them to know that, however.)

I hadn't noticed I'd swapped weapons with Naruto, let alone moved into the kitchen as I'd been thinking to myself, and yet here I was.

 **I helped put you into autopilot.**

 _Thanks._

 **Of course.**

Once I'd come back into my own head, I surveyed what the kitchen had for weaponry.

There were cooking knives that were unused (after seeing how Naruto lived, I wasn't surprised to find out that most of his funds went to his daily ramen), and a few pots and pans, that were, of course, also unused. Pots and pans were heavy, slow, and packed a punch for non-weapons, but I wasn't sure Naruto would be able to swing one around. The knives would have to do, in that case, although I didn't think he would even have the guts to use them - he was too nice currently, and a kid, unprepared for battle.

I quickly grabbed a cooking knife (I had no idea what the different types were, so it was pretty much just a generic thick knife to me), and pushed it into Naruto's hand.

"Use that if you have to." I said quickly, before grabbing a knife of my own.

As I felt the metal slide into my hand, I was startled by the coldness and almost dropped it. Of course, this meant I made the mistake of looking down.

The dull light hanging above the dining room table shone against the blade, and I caught myself in the shaky reflection.

Hands trembling, I stared straight into the cold metal, sweat slipping down my forehead, and all I could think of was that damned nightmare.

Over and over and over and over.

Fearful wide brown eyes melted into a green-blue-grey color, the same expression in them. Matted black hair switched to dark brown, and I watched my face shift in the reflection of the blade.

Sudden pressure on my arm, a dark night, heart in my throat.

Angry noise, trembling hands, and crying.

Then _p_ _ainpainpainpainpain oh god oh god oh god oh god_

I disjointedly realize I can feel it.

My fear is only amplified by it.

It hurts.

The world finally, graciously, _mercifully_ slips into darkness.

* * *

Naruto watches in disjointed horror as Chen slaps a knife into his palm, scared determination on her face as she grabs one on her own. She seems startled, for a moment, and almost drops the thing.

Her eyes lock onto the blade, and they go wide, wider than he'd thought they could, and her hands suddenly go white with how hard she's holding it.

Then, Naruto watches with wide as Chen begins to cry.

It's not the same type of crying that he's seen her in before- he's seen her cry from laughter, holding her arms around her sides while howling in laughter. The small sniffles as someone did something nice, the full out bawling she'd been prone to when he'd caught her alone on accident. He'd seen her cry, of course - he'd seen her cry quite a few times.

But this was crying unlike anything he'd ever seen.

Chen was clutching the knife, wide eyed, her mouth slightly open as she took in sharp, wheezing breaths, and tears slipped down her face silently.

The only sound, for a long moment, was her raspy breathing, and the alarm blaring distantly.

He's always had an eye for the reactions people give him, and he's always been able to make his decisions based on how other people feel. Granted, he'll often ignore them and do what he wants anyway, but he's always been able to kinda...sense what other people were feeling. People to avoid were the ones that smelt dangerous, like the rat poison his apartment manager had needed to use a couple weeks after he'd moved in. (Plus the rat poison keeps his neighbor in the apartment below him from screaming, which is great because he can't stand the screaming.)

Naruto, if anything, knows what he's talking about when he says someone isn't feeling good.

And Chen?

Chen is most definitely _not okay_.

She's just standing there, frozen, her emotions going haywire.

It's like the emotions are hidden beneath a blanket, but he can still feel the panic radiating off of her, the same way he could when she gripped his hand just a little too tight and dragged him into the kitchen. He can feel the fear radiating off of her in waves, tightly coiled around her as she stares at the knife in her hands. If the end she were holding was sharp, he's sure her hands would have been cut to death.

He can feel fear curl in on himself, but pushes it back for long enough that he can gently grip Chen's shoulder.

"Chen?" He probes, careful not to get so close that she could accidentally cut him if she flipped out.

Chen doesn't seem to hear him, or if she does, she doesn't respond.

He probes again, but she doesn't respond to him, just drops the knife, the metal clattering on the floor as she slowly curls in on herself, sinking to the floor and just...shutting down.

This moment, Naruto thinks, will be burned into his memory for life.

Chen's hands are on her ears, and her head is pressed against her knees as she whimpers. She whimpers and curls in on herself, and he realizes that this isn't the same as the fear from before.

This is pure, unadulterated _terror._

* * *

AN: Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your patience with this chapter, I was having a LOT of trouble writing it. I was originally going to make this chapter a split of 3k words each of the same scene, but one from Naruto's point of view, and the other from Chen's.

But then I realized that was kinda stupid, and didn't mesh with my writing style, so I scrapped it.

so yeah! here's your chapter.

Before I get into review responses, I just have a couple things to say.

One: thank you all SO MUCH for the positive responses I've been getting! This fic has definitely been helping me pick up on writing more, and improve as I go along.

Two: HOLY SHIT EVERYONE! This fic, in the _four months_ that it has been up, has reached over 13k views, 133 followers, 90 favorites, and 69 reviews! That is SO AMAZING to me. Thank you everyone who reads this fic, and everyone who reviews, follows, and favorites. I am really grateful for it!

Three: I realized why I was having so much trouble writing this chapter, aside from the weird mesh of a different style, was that I lacked variation. See, in order for me ot write or draw, I have to work on several different things off and on - I can't just work on a character design and develop it three days in a row. I need something else to work on inbetween. SO, I decided to expand on some other SI/OC fics I had in mind. Nothing is going to be posted yet, I have to write a little more for it first, and develop it, so while one of the ones I have _might_ be out tonight, I doubt it.

That being said, I have a few different concepts I've been working on, and while Tracing Footsteps won't be shut down, it might go on a slight pause where I dedicate my time to another fic, so that I can give myself a bit of variation in thinking.

Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant! Here are the review responses!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, even if your review isn't responded to here (because there wasn't really anything to respond to other than with a "thank you")

 **LadyLuck** : I used the Rinmaru Mega Avatar Creator for it! I'm waiting to update the cover until we get into Chen's later years, because then I can have a more developed cover.

 **Chapter 22**

Hello everyone! I didn't want to just post an author's note, because I don't feel like that's fair to do at all, so I thought I would do a teaser-chapter/author note while I finish up some stuff I'm doing, which i'll explain.

So! If you haven't seen the updated description, I'm currently in the process of rewriting Tracing Footsteps, for a lot of reasons.

The basic set of reasons are that I feel like I can do better with this fic (not just making it longer, but better quality) and because there were some things that a lovely reviewer helped point out to me that I somehow never even thought of. So, basically I'll be rewriting the entire fic, adjusting some plot stuff, and fixing up some other things I decided I'd rather scrap. I'll say exactly what I was going for originally below on a few things I'm fixing, but I'll leave most of the things for you to see so I don't spoil it.

Anyway, I'll update the description with what chapters I have rewritten as they're updated!

Review responses at the bottom.

(I've marked line breaks with words this time around, rather than actual line breaks)

* * *

When I wake up, I don't quite feel awake.

Everything is peaceful, nothing is bothering me, and there's soft white noise in the background, not quite loud enough to bother me, but enough to block out the sounds I made on my own. There was no heartbeat in my ears, I couldn't hear my own breathing, and that was enough of a miracle in itself. There was soft light in the darkness, like street lamps outside your window in the middle of the night - not quite bright enough to bother you, but it was there. A blanket (one I recognized as my favorite - it was an all black comforter that wasn't soft, but wasn't rough, and was comfortable) was wrapped around me, tucked between my limbs just how I liked.

Although I had the distinct feeling that I was floating, I still somehow felt grounded, as though I were in a hammock that was gently swinging me back and forth.

Peaceful.

Comfortable.

I slipped into slumber once more.

[Linebreak]

Consciousness doesn't come quickly.

It comes slowly, hazily, and despite the ache in my chest, I felt as though I was floating.

It was a nice feeling, as though I was detached from the world, and wrapped in a soft, cozy blanket. As though soft gossamer was wrapped around me, and my hair was floating around me and -

I shot awake all at once, flinging myself into a seated position as I frantically pushed my hands against my skin.

Okay, sure, comparing the floating-disconnect feeling to my literal afterlife wasn't the best idea, I'll admit. Yes, sending myself into a panic attack was also not good, but hey, I never said I was a fuckin genius, did I? Okay maybe I have said that once or twice, in reference to my age disconnect, but I didn't mean overall. I am sometimes a knife trying to light up a Christmas tree, but whoopdie-fuckin-doo, who isn't sometimes?

...

Anyway.

At least I was safe at home. Nice and comfy in my bed, with the scratchy sheets and thin blanket, with that weird thing poking me in the arm. The nice apartment where Lee kept the lights nice and bright, and the smell of antiseptic in the air. Where a normal beeping noise was constantly going off and-

I'm a fucking idiot.

* * *

Review Responses:

Thank you to everyone who reviewed!

 **Lizyeh2000** : You'll have to see what Chen is afraid of (and wait a bit lol) but it's some spoopy shit.

 **Guest** : Yes it has been brought up before, and this will be the last time I talk about it, but in Canon Lee's son's name is Metal Lee, which heavily suggests that the surname is Lee. I'm using this to form my own basis for the character, since he was based off of Bruce Lee, and expand upon him since there isn't a bunch on most of the side characters. I understand the confusion, however, and thank you for asking! I haven't currently expanded upon it as the fic is now.

 **Unca Bob** :

First of all, thank you so much for the review and the constructive criticism!

I completely disregarded the fact that Chen would be watched for her vocabulary somehow, so during rewriting I'll make sure to include that. Chen is the type of person not to realize certain things might be noteworthy, so she won't catch this in all likelihood. I'll make sure to include more stumbles and mispronunciations, however, since I tend to do that already with my first language (which is english) even though it's the only language I've ever known.

I'll also be changing her responses for Assassination to Infiltration, since she likely wouldn't know the word either way. Like I said, however, she likely wouldn't catch that it's something to watch out for until it's too late, either. And true, they have had enough that you'd think they'd be looking for that, so I'll make sure to keep that in mind as well.

As for Cortex, I'm not entirely sold on her either. Basically what I was aiming for was that Chen would have pumped the chakra to her brain, helping to promote her..not growth but "mental speed" sort of, kinda like when people pump chakra into their legs for speed. However, after you mentioned it and I gave it some thought, it's...pretty unlikely. What I've decided now, instead, is that I'm going to keep the pumping chakra into her brain, but it's more of a...she thinks it'll help but all it's really doing is a whole lot of nothing. Kinda like talking to yourself while doing something, it's good for helping organize your thoughts, but in reality it doesn't really help the process at all.

You're really not wrong that some things were missing - sometimes I tend to forget that people can't tell what I'm implying, or hoping to imply. And yeah, nothing's too original yet but I'm hoping to branch out and create something more unique after rewriting and continuing on.

Anyway, thank you very much for your review, and the constructive criticism! I don't really get constructive criticism a lot, or, well, at all, so it's really nice for someone to help point out the things I haven't really connected properly! You're a peach!


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